A GROUP of nurses face a misconduct probe after complaining about sharing a changing room with a transgender colleague.
Bethany Hutchison, Lisa Lockey, Annice Grundy and Tracey Hooper had raised concerns about undressing in front of Rose Henderson.
Tracey Hooper, Annice Grundy, Lisa Lockey and Bethany HutchinsonNNP
Rose was born male and identifies as female, but has not undergone any physical surgery or hormonal transition.
But after speaking to County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, they were shockingly told to be “more inclusive”.
NHS bosses said the nurses should “broaden their mindset” and “re-educate” themselves, they claimed.
As a result, the staff members from Darlington Memorial Hospital are suing the trust for sexual harassment and discrimination.
But, after four complaints were lodged to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the nurses now face professional misconduct probes.
The complaints in question were made by members of the public.
In response to the misconduct probes, the nurses said the complaints were ideologically driven and amounted to unlawful victimisation.
They claim their concerns and actions are protected Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act.
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, the four say they complied with the NMC code and were acting in good faith.
The NMC has since written to the nurses and confirmed it will still probing whether their actions require a full investigation.
According to The Telegraph, it said it will “assess whether the concerns raised require a full NMC investigation”.
At previous employment tribunal, nurses said Rose’s behaviour was noticeably different after their HR complaint.
Bethany said they “started to feel quite intimidated” while at work.
After the claim, a sign reading “inclusive changing room” was put up on the changing room door.
The nurses were then forced to change in “temporary changing” facilities, while Rose continued to use the changing room.
Claire Coutinho, Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, slammed the move as “madness”.
She said: “It is beyond belief that these four remarkable nurses may now be dragged through another vexatious disciplinary process…
“… simply because they stood up against radical transgender ideology in the NHS and defended their legal right to single-sex spaces.
“Our institutions have been captured by an ideology that wants to pretend that biological sex isn’t real…
“… and puts the feelings of transgender women above the rights of women to get changed in dignity, privacy, and safety.
“The Government needs to get a grip and intervene to make sure the Darlington Nurses are not punished for believing women are women.”
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said the nurses were being punished for “believing in biology”.
She added: “It’s quite something… these nurses are being disciplined for believing in biology; that men are men and women are women.
“We need to be clear it now takes extraordinary courage just for speaking obvious truth.
“They are not being targeted for misconduct, but for standing up for basic rights and safeguarding.
“These complaints should be dismissed without delay. Millions of people across this country and around the world support the nurses.
“With the threat of losing their careers, being silenced, and told they must keep proceedings secret…
“… the NMC is effectively suppressing the lawful expression of beliefs within the medical profession. This has to stop.”
PABethany Hutchinson (front left) and Lisa Lockey (front right)[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
