A Christian nurse, who was disciplined for not using a paedophile’s preferred pronouns, has asked government ministers to protect NHS staff to avoid how she was treated being replicated.
Jennifer Melle referred to the patient as “mister” in a discussion with colleagues. The prisoner racially abused and physically threatened her in response.
St Helier and Epsom University Hospitals NHS Trust suspended Melle and brought a disciplinary case against her, for an alleged “data breach” thought to refer to her whistleblowing to the media about being deemed a risk to the public. The case was suddenly dropped in January.
The incident drew significant media and political attention, with politicians from across parties calling for Melle not to be sacked.
Melle met Bridget Phillipson, secretary of state for women and equalities, and health minister Karen Smyth.
She asked the secretary of state about the as yet unpublished guidance on single-sex spaces from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, after concerns about the use of changing rooms by transgender members of staff.
It comes after other high-profile cases surrounding the use of single-sex changing rooms by transgender staff, including the Darlington Nurses and Sandie Peggie.
Phillipson told Melle that the process is being followed, but would not apply to NHS staff.
She said: “There's no delay, it's just the process that we are following. I do want to get that good practice out there into the world. What I would say, however, is the Code of Practice, applies to services and associations. It doesn't apply to the workplace regulations. So that really is a matter for the NHS...and how they intend to uphold their responsibilities as an employer.”
Phillipson told Melle that no one should ever have to endure the racial abuse she did, and all must be free to hold their beliefs in the workplace.
Melle said: “No more nurses should ever have to endure what the Darlington nurses went through, what Sandie Peggie went through, or what I have gone through. None of us should be punished for speaking the truth, for standing by our professional judgement, or for living according to our deeply held beliefs.
“I remain determined that the lessons of my case, and the cases before mine, must be learned. The NHS must protect its staff, uphold fairness, and ensure that no nurse is ever again placed in an impossible position for simply doing their job with integrity.”