NHS nurse who claimed she was secretly hypnotised at work causing her to fart against her will loses lawsuit after she was sacked for refusing to see a psychiatrist
- Xandra Samson insisted she had covertly hypnotised to break wind at work
- She also said she had been possessed and gaslighted by low frequency sounds
- When she complained to bosses they referred her to occupational health team
- She refused psychiatric help so was suspended and then sacked
- Miss Samson claimed unfair dismissal but lost her case at tribunal this month
A nurse has unsuccessfully tried to sue the NHS after claiming she was being secretly hypnotised at work – to force her to uncontrollably break wind.
Xandra Samson insisted she was suffering from unwelcome ‘gastrointestinal disturbances’ at work including flatulence.
A tribunal heard she also claimed she was being ‘possessed’, her private parts were being ‘attacked’, and she was ‘gaslighted through the use of low frequency soundwaves’.
Miss Samson blamed the perceived paranormal experiences on poor heating and ventilation at the hospital unit she worked at.
The staff nurse at Ealing Hospital, London, self-diagnosed herself as being the target of ‘ideomotor phenomenon’ – a little-known hypnotic concept which is said to make people make movements unconsciously.
The Acute Medical Unit nurse described it as ‘extremely bothersome’ when she sent an email at work in April 2019. Its claims led bosses to become concerned about her mental health and they referred her to an occupational health team.
Miss Samson said: “I would like to report an observed pattern of likely inappropriate use of hypnosis/ideomotor phenomenon in my NHS workplace.
Xandra Samson was a staff nurse at Ealing Hospital, London and self-diagnosed herself
“In the last three months that I have worked in the department, I have experienced odd symptoms which I think is likely related to the above phenomenon.
“I am a healthy individual and does not have any past medical history but recently I have had various symptoms including headaches, breathing difficulty (a feeling of getting choked), and gastrointestinal disturbance (borborygmus, spasms, flatulence).
“This also includes having slurs similar to that of being possessed (as in a paranormal phenomenon). I have also noticed this in some of my patients and colleagues at work.
“It becomes extremely bothersome and a distraction at work. It also involves a feeling of being attacked in various parts of the body including that of one’s private part, which I feel is very inappropriate.
“I understand that control is achieved in this phenomenon with an altered state of consciousness and the poorly controlled thermoregulation (heating) and inadequate ventilation (the ward is located in the basement of the hospital) in the area is set up for this purpose.
“I have also noticed that I am being subjected to significant stress/anxiety, which I think makes the subject control easier in this process.
The unusual case was hear at Watford Employment Tribunal Centre earlier this month
“This is in the form of excessive scrutiny – I am presented with excessive complaints from colleagues which are mostly trivial and made a subject of a performance management programme, which is not necessary.
“The frequent mention of the names of my acquaintances by my colleagues is also another way of causing anxiety (apart from this being an example of stalking behaviour) or possibly a ‘suggestion’.
“They are also using gaslighting through the use of low frequency soundwaves. Recently, I have seen a van in the parking lot near the area where I work that carries what appears to be audio equipment.”
Miss Samson also claimed she suffered similar hypnotic experiences at her home and wrote to The National Hypnotherapy Society in a bid to back up her claims.
After she told bosses about her bizarre experiences – which included hearing ‘comments’ from the TV and radio – she was referred to occupational health.
Bosses at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust were concerned about her mental health and repeatedly sought professional help.
Three different doctors saw her, with two deeming she was unfit to work, and the Trust repeatedly tried to get her to see a psychiatrist.
However, Miss Samson insisted she was not mentally ill and refused to see the psychiatrist, claiming she thought she was being ‘experimented upon’.
She suggested she was ‘electro-magnetic radiation sensitive and dismissed one diagnosis of psychosis as ‘incorrect’.
Miss Samson was suspended then sacked in December 2019 for refusing to cooperate with psychiatric help, with the Trust saying ‘there was no other option’ than dismissal.
She tried to sue the Trust for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination but lost her case at Watford Employment Tribunal Centre.
Employmemt Judge Oliver Hyams admitted the tribunal ‘had no idea what ideomotor phenomenon’ was as he ruled the Trust did not discriminate Miss Samson or unfairly dismiss her.
Judge Hyams said her bosses ‘did what they did purely because of what they perceived to be impairments to her mental health exhibited by her various statements’.
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