Darlington Nurse Punished for Trans Srusit, Lawyer Says

NHS Bosses “punished” female nurses who complained about a transgender woman using their changing room, an employment tribunal was told.

Eight nurses are challenging a policy that allows a single-sex room at Darlington Memorial Hospital to be used by Rose Henderson, a biological man who identifies as a woman.

At the conclusion of the submissions, the barrage of nurses suffered indirect discrimination, intimidation and victimization as a result of the transfer to County Durham and Darlington NHS.

The trust said that the nurses had a “demon” rose and the policy was in line with the guidance and laws of that time.

Speaking to the BBC afterwards, nurses said it was “very stressful” but they were working again while the patients were “most important”.

The Newcastle Tribunal heard Rosas had been using the changing room since 2019 before complaints were first made by female nurses from the Day Surgery Unit (DSU) in August 2023.

The trust policy allows a person to use a single-sex space that deviates from their gender identity, and anyone of that gender who disagrees can be changed elsewhere.

Some of the 26 nurses signed a letter complaining about the use of roses and conduct within the changing Rose told the court the allegations, which included looking at the women unattached, were “false.”.

In his submission to the Tribunal, the barmada of nurses Niazi Fetto KC said that the policy is not justified as the sacred treatment of biological women”.

He said the claimants’ complaints about “detrimental effects” were “digging up and ignored” before the nurses were punished “in an “ineffective investigative process” carried out by the trust.

Mr. Fetto said the policy allows people to access single-sex spaces “based on their own gender identity” and without consultation with staff.

Confidence comes first in people’s right to “the right not to change in front of an opposite sex”, said Mr. Fetto.

The trust converted a storage room united in a meeting place in a changing room for women who do not want to share the girl, but not well”, said Mr. Peetto.

He said there is “no legal right” for a person with “protected gender reassignment status to use an adopted room that corresponds to their adopted gender”.

Mr. Fetto also said that the words “boys” and “girls” mentioned in the regulations are based on biological sex, as confirmed by the UK Supreme Court earlier this year.

He said that many women complained about Rose’s behavior in the changing room and that it rejected “All levels of solidarity” from “various sources”.

The response of the trust is “determined not to grapple with the substance” of the complaints while at the same time “quitting those who raised them”, said Mr. Fetto.

Simon Cheetham KC, for the trust, said that the Center of Excellence Nurse used using the changing room “chosen to interpret” in a negative way or in a “negative way”.

“What they think is the cause of this issue is focusing their judgment,” Mr. Cheetham said, adding Rose’s “very much was seen as offensive”.

He also said that the decision of the nurses to talk to the media was “unattractive” and they made repeated allegations, which caused the public to return to “very predatory behavior”.

Mr Cheetham said the treatment of the Rose nurses was “unfair and unjustified”, with their allegations of conduct “exaggerated”.

The nurses do not need to be “demon” roses and fight a “public campaign” about the policy and treatment to “trust them as a group of women”, said Mr. Cheetham.

He said that the staff is only given access to spaces that have sex when they “declare that they live their lives fully in that gender”, which is a “higher threshold” than the nurses admitted.

Mr Cheetham also said the policy was also “given the relevant legislation and guidance at the time”.

He said that the trust has 8,000 employees and must weigh the “Competing” rights of those with “protected characteristics” of biological sex and gender adjustment.

Mr. Cheetham said the “reality” at the time was that there were different sets of guidelines that were “not consistent” with each other.

Tribunal judges will make their judgment at a future date but say it is unlikely to come before Christmas.

After the verdict, nurses Lisa Locey, Bethany Hutchison and Karen Danson said it was “very shocking” and “They hope the judges will find it in their favor.

Ms Lockey said the nurses had felt “absolutely ostracized” since raising their complaint, adding the trust’s policy “seems completely unreasonable”.

He said it was “frustrating” waiting for national guidance to be confirmed, adding: “We’re kind of in Limbo.”

Ms Lockey said they continued to work “uncomfortably” at times, not knowing who was supporting them, but they had to “keep your perspective on everything” and “Do your job”.

He said nurses are there to help patients and they are “the most important”.

Ms Hutchonon said she hoped people would “stand up” against the ideology behind the policy, adding:

Rose was approached for comment by the NHS trust but did not want to speak.