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NHS Tribunal Examines Nurse Suspension Over Conflict With Transgender Doctor

Employment tribunal debates allegations of harassment and patient safety concerns following a dispute in a hospital changing room.

  • Nurse Sandie Peggie, with 30 years of service, was suspended after a Christmas Eve 2023 incident involving transgender doctor Beth Upton in a female changing room at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
  • Peggie filed a complaint citing sexual harassment and harassment related to protected beliefs under the Equality Act 2010, while Upton alleged bullying and harassment, prompting the suspension on January 3, 2024.
  • Emails from NHS Fife's HR department questioned the validity of patient safety concerns raised against Peggie, noting a lack of corroborative evidence for allegations such as leaving patients unattended.
  • Peggie’s barrister argued that the health board’s policies prioritized gender identity over sex, suggesting alternative solutions like single-occupancy changing rooms were dismissed.
  • The tribunal, now extended to July 2025, will examine further evidence, including a request for forensic analysis of Upton’s phone regarding notes related to the case.
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