Sandie Peggie has said the Darlington nurses’ victory in a transgender changing room case has strengthened her determination to continue with an appeal in her own case.
She said she is “overjoyed” at the ruling in the case in England, and praised the nurses involved for the “courage they have shown in securing this important legal victory”.
Nurse Ms Peggie was suspended by NHS Fife after complaining about having to share a changing room with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on Christmas Eve 2023.
Last year she secured a partial victory in an employment tribunal against the health board, with claims of harassment against her employer being upheld though allegations of discrimination, indirect discrimination and victimisation were dismissed.
Eight members of the Day Surgery Unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital brought a claim against County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust after Rose Henderson, who was born male but identifies as a woman, was allowed to use the women’s changing facilities.
In a judgment handed down to the parties on Friday, an employment tribunal found the nurses suffered harassment which violated their dignity and created “a hostile, intimidating, humiliating and degrading environment for them”.
Ms Peggie has previously said she will appeal against the tribunal judgment in her own case and said the ruling for the Darlington nurses has strengthened her resolve.
She said: “I am overjoyed that the Darlington nurses have succeeded in their claims against their employer and that the Newcastle employment tribunal, unlike the employment tribunal who heard my case, has ruled that an employer does unlawfully harass female employees by requiring them to share changing rooms with biological males.
“I am grateful to the Darlington nurses for the courage they have shown in securing this important legal victory, which has only strengthened my determination to continue with an appeal to overturn the judgment in my own case.”
A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are taking time to review the judgment carefully and will comment further once we have had the opportunity to consider it in full.”
