Whistleblowing | Worker dubbed 'Darth Vader' wins tribunal - what the case was really about

An NHS employee who was likened to Darth Vader during a team-building exercise has won part of her whistleblowing claim, after an employment tribunal found she was subjected to detriment for raising concerns about unsafe practices during the pandemic.

But while the “Darth Vader” comparison grabbed headlines, the tribunal’s detailed ruling paints a far more serious picture of how NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) treated long-serving Training and Practice Supervisor, Lorna Rooke (the claimant) during the final years of her 18-year career.

Rooke, who was found to be disabled due to anxiety and low mood, brought claims of constructive unfair dismissal, direct disability discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments, and whistleblowing detriment. 

The tribunal dismissed all claims except for whistleblowing, finding that NHSBT had unlawfully subjected her to two detriments after she made protected disclosures about safety risks to blood donors and staff.