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Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Darlington nurses still waiting for single-sex changing space despite Supreme Court ruling

The Darlington nurses outside Parliament. (Photo: Christian Legal Centre)

An NHS trust has been accused of continually flouting the law around women’s rights by requiring female nurses to get modified in front of a biologically male nurse who goes by the name of “Rose”. 

Furthermore, “Rose” apparently offered to “re-educate” the nurses as to why they must be willing to get undressed in front of a transgender nurse.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust were informed a month ago by the Royal College of Nursing that they’re in breach of the law by failing to offer single-sex changing rooms for its female staff. Despite this, no motion has been taken to redress the situation.

A recent Supreme Court ruling determined that using public and workplace facilities similar to toilets and changing rooms must be based on biological sex.

Rather than accepting the brand new legal reality, the Director of Workforce on the Trust has been accused of doubling down on the old ideology by republishing a “Transitioning within the Workplace” policy which continues to allow people to make use of the changing facilities of the gender they “discover” with.

Nurses in Darlington are currently in a legal battle with the Trust after allegedly being informed, all of sudden, that they’d be required to undress in front of a male colleague. When they raised concerns about this they are saying they were told they needed to be “more inclusive” and to be “re-educated”.

After the case became public, the Trust provided a short lived office for female nurses to vary in. However, this was described as “dehumanising” and “humiliating” by the nurses, because the office had no lockers and opened onto a public corridor. The temporary office has now been in use for nearly a 12 months.

Bethany Hutchison, a Darlington nurse and President of the Darlington Nursing Union, said, “We appreciate the letter from the Royal College of Nursing, nevertheless it has been a month now and there was no sign of any motion, quite the alternative the truth is.”

Hutchison claimed that the NHS has been captured by “extreme Stonewall policies” and that the law, as determined by the Supreme Court, must be followed as a matter of urgency.“We are still having to make use of what we were told 10 months ago can be a ‘temporary’ converted office to vary in,” she said. She concluded, “NHS Trusts cannot ignore the Supreme Court and clear direction from the Royal College of Nursing within the name of an extreme and discredited ideology.”Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the nurses, said, “The NHS, following the Supreme Court ruling, must now recognise sex where it matters most: in ensuring privacy, dignity, and safety.“Health Secretary Wes Streeting has told the nurses in individual that he stands with them. If the NHS is willing to disregard the Supreme Court and the Royal College of Nursing, then he must act— urgently.”

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