An NHS healthcare assistant has been awarded £1,425 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled that she was subjected to harassment by her Ghanaian colleague, Charles Oppong, who repeatedly called her “auntie.”

According to a report by independent.co.uk, on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Ilda Esteves, 61, informed her colleague that she found his constant use of the term offensive, a tribunal heard.

However, Oppong, a nurse, justified his actions by stating that “auntie” is a term of respect for older women in Ghana.

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"He also told Ms. Esteves that she would be a 'good match' for an older staff member," the report noted.

Esteves successfully brought a claim against the NHS for harassment based on her age and sex.

Esteves began working as a healthcare assistant at the West London NHS Trust, specialising in Women’s Forensic Services, in September 2022. She testified that Oppong, based at St. Bernard's Hospital in London, had called her “auntie” on multiple occasions, despite her requests for him to use her name.

She also highlighted two instances where he commented that she would be a “good match” for an older colleague. In a September 2023 email, Esteves formally complained about Oppong’s conduct, writing:

"A staff member called me ‘auntie’ multiple times despite telling him to call me by my name. He said, ‘You want to be young then!’ He also commented on my lipstick and said I would be a good match for a member of staff named George."

While Oppong admitted to calling his colleague “auntie” on one occasion, he maintained it was a term of respect in his Ghanaian culture.

However, Employment Judge George Alliott described his evidence as “poor.”

"He was reluctant to acknowledge that there was a George working on his ward, claimed not to know George’s age, and would not give an estimate. He did not remember how many shifts he may have worked with Ms. Esteves… We found him evasive and vague."

The tribunal concluded, "We find that Charles Oppong probably did refer to Ms. Esteves as ‘auntie’ on a number of occasions and probably did make the comment about her being a match for an older colleague. We find that, as a staff nurse responsible for leading the teams, he should not have made such comments. His purpose was probably an offensive attempt at humour, which Ms. Esteves perceived as creating an offensive environment. The circumstances of the comments being made in the office, corridor, and during handovers had the effect of creating an offensive environment. Consequently, her claim of harassment on this ground succeeds."

Judge Alliott acknowledged that “'auntie' is, in fact, a term of respect in Ghanaian culture (since the harasser had Ghanaian heritage), but, nevertheless, since it was against her wishes, it would have been offensive to her.”

Esteves’s other claims of harassment, discrimination, victimisation, and unlawful deduction of wages were not successful.

JKB/MA

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