Ms Thermidor said soon afterwards that she recorded Betsy Bassis, who was chief executive at the time, having a private conversation with then chairwoman Millie Banerjee, during which the latter seemingly played down the matter.
Ms Banerjee said the situation was ‘high risk’ for NHSBT but that she could not ‘fix the ravages or consequences of 300 years of slavery and 200 years of empire’. She also talked of there being a ‘nasty dichotomy’ between different ethnic groups, with Asians considering themselves ‘well above the blacks’.
Ms Banerjee stepped down in August last year. She denies acting or talking in a racist manner.
Is that not the case, then?
An external report into grievances raised by Ms Thermidor found she was not treated unfavourably because of her race but that she and others ‘did suffer harassment in NHSBT because of their race’.
Ms Thermidor resigned in February last year. Both Ms Bassis and Ms Banerjee have vowed to contest her claims at the tribunal.
