A Christian NHS nurse has been suspended after she went public a couple of disciplinary investigation over her refusal to consult with a biologically male paedophile as a girl.
Jennifer Melle was referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) by her bosses at St Helier Hospital, London, after she used ‘Mr’ and male pronouns to consult with the convicted transgender child sex offender who had been brought in for treatment from a Category C men’s prison.
Ms Melle told the patient, “I’m sorry I cannot consult with you as her or she, because it’s against my faith and Christian values but I can call you by your name.”
Her lawyers with the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) said that she was then threatened and racially abused by the patient in response to her stance.
Following the incident, Ms Melle was investigated by St Helier Hospital and accused of “not respecting the patient’s preferred identity” despite the patient being recorded as male within the medical records, not female or transgender.
The internal investigation deemed her “a possible risk” and concluded that her actions can have breached the NMC code of conduct which states that nurses should “not express your personal beliefs (including political, religious or moral beliefs) in an inappropriate way”.
Supported by the CLC, she is suing the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust for harassment, discrimination, and human rights violations. The CLC said she’s going to remain on full pay in the course of the investigation but has been banned from the hospital premises in the interim.
JK Rowling and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch are among the many high profile figures to have publicly supported Melle. Rowling called her suspension “obscene”, while Badenoch said it was “completely crazy”.
“She has my full support. It’s time the Government pulls its finger out and intervenes to make it clear nobody needs to be punished at work for stating biological reality to paedophiles,” said Badenoch.
Commenting on her suspension, Melle said, “Despite being the one placed in danger, I’m the one being punished. I actually have been made to feel like a criminal.”I’m trusting in Jesus to guide me through this. I need to take a stand. I genuinely worry about what number of other NHS staff are silently enduring similar injustices.”
CLC chief executive Andrea Williams said that the hospital should offer a full apology. She is asking on Health Secretary Wes Streeting to intervene within the case.
A spokesman for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We expect all members of staff to follow skilled standards akin to the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s code of conduct – this includes maintaining confidentiality for any patients of their care in any respect times.
“There is not any excuse for racially abusing our staff, and we’re sorry that Ms Melle had this experience, and we’re investigating her complaints.
“As proceedings are still ongoing, it wouldn’t be right for us to comment further.”
