The debt adviser sacked for saving suicidal woman

Terri King, 58, was accused by her boss of breaching client confidentiality by phoning the woman's doctor.

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The distraught client had phoned Mrs King, saying she had taken a large overdose of pills to end her life because she could not cope with her overwhelming level of debt.

Mrs King immediately alerted her client's GP, who was able to act in time to save her life.

But when her boss learnt of her actions, she was told she had made an "irrational and emotional error".

The divorced mother of three is suing for wrongful dismissal after losing her £13,000-a-year job at Lymington Citizens' Advice Bureau in Hampshire last September.

Southampton Employment Tribunal heard yesterday how her actions saved the life of the woman, who was struggling to cope with debt and an abusive relationship.

But Peter Wales, the manager of the service, claimed Mrs King - who had previously held an "outstanding" record during her five years at the bureau - should have alerted him to the suicidal caller instead of calling the GP.

Mr Wales said he would have consulted a management committee for advice on how to handle the situation before acting - even though this would have wasted valuable time that could have cost the caller her life.

Mrs King, from Southampton, said outside the hearing: "I am heartbroken to think that we have to let someone die to do our job."

She also claimed the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had given Mrs King permission to disclose her details to her doctor.

Describing her phone conversation with the sobbing woman, Mrs King told the tribunal: "Miss X started a long and incoherent conversation.

"She said she had had enough of her personal circumstances, she wanted to end her life and could not bear it any longer.

"Miss X continued to weep profusely. I was so concerned I phoned the GP. Given her GP report and my own dealings with Miss X, I believed that she was in immediate danger.

"I knew time was of the essence."

Although according to her medical records the woman had attempted suicide previously, managers at the Citizens' Advice Bureau did not consider it appropriate to call her family doctor.

Mr Wales told the tribunal: "Terri reported that she had phoned the client's GP twice that day to report her feelings that she was suicidal.

"I advised Terri that her actions seriously breached the bureau's policy on confidentiality. She appeared to have made an irrational and emotional error. She should have referred it to me.

"I would have then phoned the National Citizens' Advice management line and we would have discussed the way forward."

He added: "We had no evidence at the time she was actually in the process of committing suicide."

Mrs King denies breach of confidentiality and gross misconduct, and claims she had permission from the client to disclose information to her GP.

The hearing continues.