Sandie Peggie, the Fife nurse suspended after complaining about sharing a female changing room with a transgender doctor, will appeal against an employment tribunal ruling her solicitor describes as 'hugely problematic'. The tribunal found Peggie had been harassed by NHS Fife over the issue, but dismissed her claims of discrimination and victimisation under the Equality Act 2010.
Peggie, a nurse for over 30 years, told supporters in Dundee she would 'not be giving up the fight any time soon'. She is pursuing four cases, including actions against NHS Fife management, senior medical staff, and the Royal College of Nursing, which she claims failed to support her during her suspension. The RCN denies this.
The tribunal's ruling has been criticised for misquotations, including a reference to the Maya Forstater case that Forstater said was 'completely made up'. A certificate of correction was issued on Thursday, but Forstater, now head of campaign group Sex Matters, said at least three other quotes 'don't reflect the case law' and 'severely undermine people's confidence in the legal process'.
Margaret Gribbon, Peggie's solicitor, said the judgment places 'responsibility on female employees to raise complaints if they feel uncomfortable about sharing single-sex spaces with men', ignoring industrial realities. She added that it puts employers in the 'invidious position' of making decisions based on physical appearance and asking intrusive questions.
Peggie stated: 'I am not a campaigner and had never heard of the phrase "gender-critical" when I first raised complaints... I just knew instinctively that it wasn't right that women were expected to undress in front of men in private spaces.'
