An NHS nurse who faced a false claim that she was pregnant with a patient’s child has been granted a substantial financial settlement after a tribunal ruled her suspension was unjustified.
Jessica Thorpe, who worked for the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, was suspended for more than two years following allegations made by a man identified only as Patient X.
The patient alleged that Thorpe, who had joined Ward Z just months earlier, was involved in an “inappropriate relationship” with him, and that she was carrying his baby. The man, who had been transferred to the secure unit from prison and was receiving treatment for mental illness, made the claim in April 2020, according to a report by the BBC.
Just three days after the allegation surfaced, Thorpe was removed from her duties. Although a disciplinary review was promised in May 2020, it did not begin until July 2021.
Employment Judge Simon Loy, overseeing the case in Newcastle, revealed that her suspension was repeatedly extended, even after Patient X died in December 2020.
While suspended, Thorpe said she received only her base salary and lost out on around £1,000 each month. Some of the missing pay was later reimbursed by the Trust.
During this period, she started a food blog on Instagram titled “Slice of Jess” in September 2020 as a hobby, which eventually turned profitable, earning her nearly £20,000 annually. She also grew her presence on YouTube, where her Google earnings rose from £4,211 in 2021 to £19,222 by 2023, as confirmed by tax records.
Although she was invited to return to her post in October 2022, Thorpe resigned the following month, citing the Trust’s failure to manage persistent workplace rumors about the alleged affair.
The Trust countered that her resignation was driven by her desire to pursue a full-time career as a social media influencer — a claim the tribunal dismissed.
Judge Loy noted the timing of her resignation was “unusual,” but maintained that Thorpe was within her rights to explore other income streams during her suspension. “If she used her time to explore opportunities in content creation, that’s her choice,” he stated.
Thorpe has now received a payout of £24,118 after winning claims of unfair dismissal, breach of contract, and unlawful wage deductions.
In a heartfelt video on Instagram, she marked her victory, captioning the post: “5 years to the day that I got sent home suspended. Quite poetic. My shoulders have dropped. My jaw has unclenched. Finally I’m free.”
The tribunal acknowledged some “blurred lines” in her interactions with the patient, who had shown positive responses to Thorpe’s care. However, a previous judge declined to issue a ruling on whether the accusations were true.
Due to a lack of solid evidence, the Trust ultimately could not uphold the misconduct claim, lifting her suspension in July 2021. However, Thorpe never received an official letter closing the matter. Instead, on July 30, she was informed that the panel had reached no decision due to “ongoing investigations involving outside agencies,” referring to the inquiry into Patient X’s death, which included police involvement.
Judge Loy pointed out that Thorpe never got a final outcome from her hearing before she quit, describing the length of her suspension as “extraordinary.” He stated the main failing was the Trust’s reluctance to reinstate her even after the hearing concluded.
He added that although the situation was complex and the Trust’s hesitation understandable, “the legal standards must still be applied.”
“There’s nothing in her contract that would’ve stopped her from making money through other lawful means during suspension,” he concluded.
