I've experienced being bullied by a manager at work. Not in my current job. But a previous one. I was very experienced and pretty senior at the time and thought it wouldn't happen to someone like me. But he was clever with it and it honestly, it made me ill with anxiety.

I had to seek help for the first time in my life, when literally receiving an email from him sent me into a full on panic attack which was terrifying. I was hauled into three way meetings with his manager where things where he literally lied about me but I could do little.

It was a horrible, horrible time and I think I'd always be sympathetic but having experienced it, I never want someone to do that. Bullying from a position of power in a work situation, especially if you like the job so don't really want to leave, is so very invidious.

Organisational culture matters. I know how very hard it was to say anything. To speak up. Yes, 'Freedom to Speak up Guardians' but you go back to your desk and are managed by someone who will do anything to undermine you from their position of power. It's hard.

I have some unpublished blogs I might return to now I've left the organisation and the manager (it has actually been a few years now). But allowing Patel to continue without censure is unethical and damaging. I feel for all those who have been the victims.

I'll add that the hardest thing was that he was 'nice' to other people (incidentally, not the other middle-aged women in the team though, we found the 'blind spot') and ask me why I'm sceptical about 'leadership' training? He was sent on it all. Ticked all the boxes.

He could talk a good talk but he came back to the team and undermined and worse, bullied, a couple of us. I honestly thought it couldn't happen to me at that stage of my career. In that role. I thought, I'll not 'allow' myself to be bullied. But that's not how it works.

As an afterthought, this manager left. I had raised concerns higher, eventually, but I don't know if that was related. My next manager was the best (and not just because she follows me!!) but I could never quite 'forgive' the organisation or the way they had managed it.

So I moved on eventually and have a completely new job with a new (great) manager. But it really does have a long term impact.