A health minister has criticised the nursing regulator over its treatment of a Christian nurse who was at the centre of a dispute over the use of preferred pronouns for a convicted paedophile.
Jennifer Melle was subject to two Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) investigations following the incident in May 2024, involving a biologically male patient who identified as female, and later over allegations that she had breached patient confidentiality by speaking publicly about her experience. She was cleared earlier in July.
It occurred during a night shift at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, involving a patient who had been catheterised with a male catheter. During a clinical discussion with a doctor about the patient's discharge, the patient objected to Melle using male pronouns and subjected her to racist abuse and threats of violence.
The regulator stated there was “no realistic possibility” that Melle's fitness to practise would be found impaired and that she posed “no current risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of the public”, with her actions “isolated” and driven by religious belief.
The Christian Legal Centre, which has supported Melle, described the intervention by Karin Smyth MP as a “serious rebuke” to the NMC. The Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care told Melle in a letter that the NMC must deliver “significant and sustained improvement” in its performance, particularly in its Fitness to Practise processes.
The minister believed it is “essential that the public has confidence in the NMC register”. She acknowledged the “incredibly distressing and challenging” process the nurse was put through and recognised the toll it had taken “both personally and professionally”.
Melle had written to the government after meeting Smyth and Briget Phillipson, the equalities minister, where she said the pair emphasised that no nurse should have gone through the same experience.
She called for urgent guidance that ensures freedom of religion in the NHS, that no staff member would be disciplined for declining to use preferred pronouns, and that NHS Trusts follow government guidance on sex and pronouns.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also backed Melle, decrying what she called “biological sex witch-hunts” of nurses in the NHS.