Wes Streeting to satisfy Darlington nurses after recent trans guidance issued

The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has confirmed that he’ll meet the Darlington nurses following the publication of updated guidance on trans issues from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The guidance is anticipated to be published in some unspecified time in the future after this week’s local elections and is to reflect last 12 months’s Supreme Court ruling that biological sex, somewhat than self-identification, legally defines an individual’s gender.

The Darlington nurses won an employment tribunal after raising complaints about being required to get modified within the presence of a female-identifying trans colleague. The nurses were allegedly told to be more inclusive and were later given a separate and substandard place to vary.

The case, and others prefer it, equivalent to that of Jennifer Melle, have caused concern that parts of the NHS are effectively ignoring the Supreme Court ruling and remain in thrall to extreme trans ideology.

According to the Christian Legal Centre, which has been supporting the nurses, the NHS has yet to issue national guidance on trans issues, despite Melle and the Darlington nurses being vindicated.

Streeting has previously met the Darlington nurses and in 2024 said he was “horrified” that they had to resort to legal motion. However, he has been criticised for being slow to act. The Christian Legal Centre noted that following the Supreme Court ruling, Streeting said that updated NHS guidance could be in place “inside weeks” however it has still not happened over a 12 months later.  

Bethany Hutchison, President of the Darlington Nursing Union, said it was time for Streeting to take motion: “We are pleased that the Secretary of State has committed to meeting us again, however it should never have taken years of legal motion, national media exposure and a tribunal victory for our dignity at work to be recognised.

“Wes Streeting has repeatedly said he supports us and believes in single‑sex spaces based on biological sex. We now expect that support to be reflected in clear, enforceable guidance across the NHS.”

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which supported each Melle and the Darlington nurses said, “The Tribunal within the Darlington case confirmed what must have been obvious all along: women mustn’t be forced to undress in front of men.

“By ruling that the policy that allowed men into the ladies’s changing room has also exposed every NHS Trust across the country to legal challenge, as similar policies are believed to be in place nationally.

“The Health Secretary’s acknowledgement of their treatment is essential, but women working across the NHS need certainty, not delay. The law is evident, and guidance must now reflect that reality, so this injustice isn’t repeated.”