A Christian nurse suspended since April after refusing to make use of a transgender patient’s preferred pronouns has accused the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) of “discrimination”.
Jennifer Melle questioned why the RCN has not yet acted in her case, despite the UK Supreme Court recently reaffirming the legal recognition of biological sex.
She was suspended on full pay by Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals for an alleged “data breach” after chatting with the media about disciplinary motion taken against her after she referred to a trans biologically male patient as ‘Mr’.
The patient, who claims to be a girl but is serving time at a high-security men’s prison, is alleged to have racially abused Melle by referring to her as a “n****r”.
Melle is receiving legal assistance from the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which said that a recent meeting with the RCN had acknowledged the impact of the situation on her while also affirming that it was waiting for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to publish its statutory code of practice before deciding on motion.
“We await the EHRC statutory code of practice for services, public functions, and associations and the code may provide guidance on how this pertains to the supply of health and care services,” the RCN said, in accordance with the CLC.
It added that although Melle is being legally represented by the CLC, she “stays in a position to access our other member support services as she may require”.
Melle is asking on the RCN to do more to help her after previously saying she felt abandoned by the nursing body in her hour of need.
“I used to be racially abused in my workplace, and as an alternative of protecting me, the Trust punished me. My Christian faith teaches me that sex is immutable. I mustn’t be forced to disclaim that truth to maintain my job,” she said.
“The Supreme Court has spoken clearly: biological sex matters in law. Yet the RCN, an organisation that claims to champion equality, chooses delay over motion. Nurses like me are left vulnerable while ideology trumps reality. This is just not inclusion; it’s discrimination.”
Bethany Hutchison, one in every of several nurses suing their NHS trust after being forced to alter in the identical space as a biologically male trans colleague, is just not surprised.
“Jennifer’s case is just not an isolated incident,” she said.
“Across the NHS, women are being told to ‘broaden their mindset’ and accept policies that erase biological reality.
“The Supreme Court has spoken, yet institutions drag their feet.
“Why is it that the NHS has repeatedly implemented illegal Stonewall policies, but cannot follow a legal ruling from the best court within the land? We is not going to stop fighting for dignity and truth in healthcare.”
CLC chief executive Andrea Williams said Melle’s case had broader implications for the nursing sector.
“Jennifer’s case is just not nearly one nurse, it’s about truth. It’s about common sense. It’s concerning the freedom to precise truth within the workplace,” she said.
“The Supreme Court has made it clear that biological sex is legally recognised, yet institutions just like the RCN and NHS are ignoring binding law while clinging to ideological policies.
“The RCN’s failure to face with Jennifer sets a dangerous precedent: if skilled bodies can disregard Supreme Court rulings and fail to guard the very people they were set as much as take care of then the rule of law itself is in danger.
“Jennifer’s fight will determine whether legal rights mean anything in practice.”
The RCN has been contacted for comment.
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