A NURSE involved in an employment tribunal over sharing a changing room with a transgender doctor has raised fresh legal proceedings against NHS Fife and senior medical staff.
The news comes a day after closing submissions in the case of Sandie Peggie, who was suspended by the health board after complaining about having to share a changing room with Dr Beth Upton at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy on Christmas Eve 2023.
Peggie has lodged a claim against NHS Fife and Dr Upton, citing the Equality Act 2010, including sexual harassment, harassment related to a protected belief, indirect discrimination, and victimisation.
She was placed on special leave after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment, and cited concerns about “patient care”.
The nurse was told in March 2024 that the suspension would be lifted and returned to work in April that year.
Peggie’s solicitor said the new claim relates to the senior medical workers’ opposition to another manager’s decision to lift her suspension.
Solicitor Margaret Gribbon said: “I can confirm that on August 6, 2025 my client Sandie Peggie raised further legal proceedings in the employment tribunal against Fife health board (FHB), Dr Kate Searle, Dr Maggie Currer and Esther Davidson.
“All four respondents’ legal defences to the claim are expected to be received within the next fortnight.
“The claim arises from these senior managers’ opposition to the decision by another FHB manager in March 2024 to lift Sandie’s suspension as set out by the evidence of the suspension review manager during the tribunal hearing in July.
“The claim is one of alleged harassment and victimisation under the Equality Act 2010 relating to Sandie’s gender critical beliefs and is a separate legal case from her ongoing claim against FHB and Dr Beth Upton.”
She said further claims of harassment and victimisation will also be lodged in the coming months on her client’s behalf against the health board possibly more of its employees.Ms Gribbon said: “These additional claims relate to the decision to subject Sandie to a disciplinary hearing process and the issuing of a FHB media statement on July 18, 2025.”
Hours before the tribunal was due to restart in July, Gribbon announced Peggie had been cleared of gross misconduct allegations following a separate health board disciplinary hearing.
The employment tribunal in Dundee heard closing submissions on Monday and Tuesday, having heard from all its witnesses before it was adjourned at the end of July.
Judge Sandy Kemp said the panel would begin four days of deliberations on the case on October 14, and its decision will be published in November at the earliest.
The tribunal resumed in the summer after the UK Supreme Court ruled in April that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act “refer to a biological woman and biological sex”, a ruling which has been publicly welcomed by Peggie.
