An NHS nurse from south London has settled with her employer after being suspended for refusing to use the preferred pronouns of a trans-identifying male patient.
Jennifer Melle (41) was investigated and disciplined by the Trust in charge of her employer, and received a final written warning because she decided to use sex based pronouns about the patient – a convicted paedophile- whom she claimed lashed out at her with racial abuse after she referred to him as “Mr.”
The issues arose in May 2024 when the nurse was discussing care options with the convicted sex offender who was being held at a maximum security prison.
Melle, who came to the UK from Uganda, says she tried to explain her position to the man, saying, “Sorry, I cannot refer to you as ‘her’ or ‘she’, as it is against my faith and Christian values, but I can call you by your name.”
She claims he then launched a tirade of racial abuse at her, calling her the N-word repeatedly and lunging at her. It was claimed that when she was overheard calling the man “Mr” while on the phone to a doctor.
The sex offender is then alleged to have said Imagine if I called you n*****’– ‘How about I call you n*****? Yes, black n*****!’
The nurse of 12 years was also accused of breaching patient confidentiality after speaking to the media about her suspension, with the Trust claiming the patient could have been identified from press reports.
She was also reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) over alleged breaches of its professional code of conduct, which states that nurses must not express personal beliefs “in an inappropriate way, including for religious reasons”.
Before the settlement was reached, Melle had been preparing to bring a case against Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust at an Employment Tribunal, alleging harassment and discrimination.
Speaking after the settlement was reached, she said, “I cannot discuss the terms of the settlement, but generally, I am glad that my employer has finally decided to extend an olive branch to me. I look forward to focusing on the job I love, instead of defending myself against various bizarre accusations,” she said.
Melle, who was allowed to return to work last January, said that her decision to use sex based pronouns was rooted in her Christian faith.
“It should never have come to this. No nurse or medical professional should face what I have faced simply for telling the truth, doing their job, and reporting racist abuse and physical threats from a patient.”
“I am grateful to the Lord Jesus, to my legal team at the Christian Legal Centre, who have stood by me from the very beginning, when, for example, the Royal College of Nursing abandoned me. My ordeal matters not only for me, but for every nurse who should be able to practise according to conscience, biological reality, and basic safeguarding principles without fear.”
She described the period as “the darkest days of my life”, adding that it is “still far from over” as she continues to face two ongoing NMC investigations, one for ‘misgendering’ and one for speaking to the press.
A spokesperson for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Racial abuse of our staff is never acceptable, nor is discussing a patient’s private medical information publicly. We are sorry that Ms Melle had this experience, and we issued a written warning to the patient, but we expect all staff to maintain patient confidentiality at all times.”
Last March, Melle met with Conservative Party Leader and former Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch.
Ms Badenoch said, “These women are not activists or agitators; they are hard-working professionals who care deeply about their patients and take pride in doing their jobs properly.
Yet, for holding firm on the basic truth of biological sex, they have been the victims of a state-sponsored witch-hunt. I am relieved they are now back at work, but the fact they are still under investigation by the NMC is a disgrace.
If this kind of nonsense is allowed to stand, it won’t be long until there’s another Jennifer Melle. More good nurses will be dragged through the same ordeal for stating simple facts. More professionals silenced for doing their job properly.” she said.