Represented herself For the v Respondent — 2023

The claimant, a paramedic science student on placement with London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, alleged that her mentor, Joshua Buist-Bainbridge, committed a series of sexually harassing acts during October and November 2021, including comments, touching, and sexual remarks. The tribunal heard from the claimant, Mr Buist-Bainbridge and another witness, and considered the placement paperwork, WhatsApp messages, and the later investigation carried out by the University and the Trust. It also noted the claimant's ADHD diagnosis and the difficulties she described with concentration, memory and written expression.

The tribunal found some of the alleged exchanges occurred, but held they were not proven to be conduct of a sexual nature, or were too vague or unsupported to be found on the balance of probabilities. It found that the "hopefully we can maybe be friends" comment, the "don't you care about me / you just want your PAD signed" exchange, the warning about flirting with a patient, and the comment that her reasons for not being in a relationship were selfish were not sexual in nature. It did not accept the allegations that Mr Buist-Bainbridge called her "hun" or "sweetheart", touched her lower back, came up behind her while she was cannulating a patient, stood too close in a sexual way, made the slave comments, made the vulgar sexual comments, or said he needed to be careful not to write anything sexual in her PAD document.

On the evidence about the end of the placement, the tribunal found that Mr Buist-Bainbridge's negative summary arose from irritation about having to redo the stolen PAD entries and from the inconsistency between his earlier email feedback and the signed summary form submitted by the claimant, rather than because she had rejected or submitted to any sexual conduct. It accepted that he was dismissive and annoyed about the paperwork, but did not find that he linked the final assessment to any alleged advances or that he said he would fail her unless she slept with him. Both claims were therefore dismissed. There was no remedy awarded.