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Four nurses working for the NHS are suing the British health executive over its transgender policy which allows biological males to use women’s single sex spaces.
The four women, Bethany Hutchison, Lisa Lockey, Annice Grundy, and Tracey Hooper who work at the Darlington Memorial Hospital in Durham argue that the policy which allows men who identify as women into their changing room facility is putting them at risk.
Speaking on behalf of the group Bethany Hutchinson they wanted “women to be aware that there are transgender policies, particularly in the NHS, that are putting us at risk”.
I suspect these nurses from Darlington Memorial Hospital will become as famous as the Ford Dagenham women
They’ve filed legal action against their Trust for sexual harassment and sex discrimination
Bethany Hutchison, Lisa Lockey, Annice Grundy, Tracey Hooper & Joanne Bradbury pic.twitter.com/pEJgoceZu7— teresa smith (@treesey) June 24, 2024
She continued saying in a statement, “Other nurses are terrified of sticking their heads above the parapet. We are speaking out for us and for those who are too afraid to. This cannot be right, and we want a change in policy, not only at our hospital but across the NHS and wider society.”
“The meetings we have had at the hospital have been threatening and intimidating. To say we need educating when staff have multiple degrees was deeply insulting and demonstrates a failure of care towards female staff, some of whom are vulnerable.
“There have been times when I have been alone with ‘Rose’ in the changing rooms and have panicked. Rose looks very masculine, and it is a shock. I and my colleagues should not feel afraid at work. It is disgraceful that nurses are ending up in tears before they have to go and provide emotional support to our patients. It is very difficult to do that if you are already in a state of distress because you are having to get changed in front of a male.
“I am a Christian, but these policies are and will impact every woman from every background.
“We will pursue this matter for as long as it takes to ensure women’s spaces are protected.” she said.
Current NHS policy allows transgender identifying persons to use the changing facility that aligns with their preferred gender.
The nurses say managers they had approached in relation to the issue “continued to brush aside their concerns” about the presence and alleged conduct of the man who goes by ‘Rose’.
Describing the distress the situation causes in an already high pressure working environment, one of the nurses said, “I don’t want to be panicking and looking over my shoulder while getting ready to work in a hospital caring for patients.”
In a previous interview with the Daily Mail UK which was published after 26 nurses protested against the NHS policy, the nurses told of their shock having allegedly been told that the man who shares their changing room had stopped taking female hormones and was trying to have a baby with his female partner.
They said the man showed ‘keen interest’ in them changing attire and would roam around the open plan changing room in his underwear.
The paper published the comments of one of the nurses who said the man had approached her in the changing room and repeatedly asked her if she was going to change while he was dressed in a scrubs top and boxers with holes in them.
The woman, who said she was sexually abused as a child and has difficulty being around men alone, said she began to panic and felt “petrified”, “sick” and had begun “hyperventilating”.
After the nurses wrote to managers at the hospital saying in a letter that they ‘do not consider it appropriate to have a sexually active biological male sharing our changing facilities’, they say that they were told to be ‘more inclusive’, and to ‘broaden their mindset’ along with a suggestion that they attend more training and be more educated about issues related to transgender inclusion.
It was further alleged that international nurses whose religion or cultural norms do not permit them to undress in front of men other than their husbands were wearing extra clothes under their uniforms so as not to let the trans-identifying staff member see them in their under garments.
The CEO of Christian Legal Centre who is financially backing the nurse’s legal case, Andrea Williams, said, “This case demonstrates as clear as day that this is an issue of biology not ideology. Once we lose a sense of physical reality all kinds of real and dangerous consequences emerge.
“Legislating to protect and promote ‘gender identity’ places women at risk, which is so strikingly evidenced in this case.
“This case and the Cass Review demonstrate how transgender ideology has led to a public health crisis, not only for vulnerable children and for patients on wards, but now also for NHS staff who are just trying to do their job.
“Rishi Sunak says he knows what a woman is, Keir Starmer says he is committed to protecting single-sex spaces. The reality on the ground, however, is one of complete chaos. Policies have promoted gender ideology over biology creating widespread confusion that cannot be ignored any longer.
“There should be no place in workplaces for transgender ideology that denies science and biological reality, and which is exploited in this way.
“The nurses in this hospital have spoken out with fear and trepidation. Between them they have decades of experience on hospital wards and they are the ones that should be protected and comforted as they simply seek to do the job they love without fear of retribution for speaking up.
“We stand with this dedicated group of professionals and will pursue this matter until common sense prevails and justice is done.”
An NHS document which includes guidelines on transgender inclusion states that, “The UK Gender Recognition Act enables people over age eighteen to gain full legal recognition for the gender in which they live.”
“At present, people must spend a minimum of two years under medical support in the gender they wish to live in and identify as. After this time the person is able to apply to the Gender Recognition Panel to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). If the certificate is approved the trans person will receive a new birth certificate and Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).” it says.
Last month a spokesperson for the NHS trust released a statement saying the NHS is ‘committed to providing an inclusive and respectful work environment for all employees’.
It continued, ‘We are aware of recent issues raised and are taking these very seriously.
‘We would like to assure our employees and the wider community that as soon as these issues were brought to our attention, we initiated meetings to fully understand the needs and concerns of the staff members under our resolution policy.
‘We recognise that this is a hugely sensitive issue and as well as taking into consideration the feedback and concerns raised by the team, we are working to adhere to legal requirements and best practices.
‘We are committed to working together with all parties to find a solution that respects the rights and dignity of all individuals while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and fairness.
‘As our internal processes continue it would not be appropriate to comment in any further detail at this stage.’
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