In a victory for common sense, a nurse working in NHS Fife in Scotland was cleared by the workplace tribunal that sought to punish her for complaining about having to share a women’s changing room with a ‘trans’ colleague who was born male.
The Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife suspended Sandie Peggie on January 3rd, 2024 after she objected to sharing a changing room with “Dr Beth Upton.” Allegations followed that Peggie put patients at risk by failing to communicate with the doctor. Facing dismissal if unsuccessful in her defence, Peggie argued that Upton made up the claims.
The pair first clashed on December 24th, 2023. When the nurse feared that heavy menstruation had bled through to her medical scrubs at work, she encountered Upton—a biologically male doctor who identifies as female—in a women’s changing room. Peggie’s concerns led Upton to file a complaint of bullying against her.
To date, NHS Fife has spent £220,500 (€254,400) on disciplining the nurse and defending its own reputation. At the time of the friction between the two, Upton did not have the legal documentation—let alone the reality—to legally identify as a woman. The hospital argued that staff should use sing-sex facilities in line with their gender identity, but ultimately, this was dismissed at the hearing.
Critics of the decision to take action against Peggie have requested that NHS Fife—at the very least—acknowledge the recent Supreme Court ruling against the Scottish government. This judgement established that, under the terms of the Equality Act (2010), sex is defined as a biological category.
