GP Claims "Bullying and Harassment" Led to NHS Departure After Raising Concerns Over Trans Colleague

A general practitioner, Dr. Sarah Redvers, has spoken out, stating she was "bullied and harassed" out of her National Health Service (NHS) job after raising concerns about a transgender colleague's practices. Dr. Redvers, who served as a safeguarding GP responsible for protecting gender-distressed children in Sussex, claims she was accused of transphobia after reporting Dr. Sam Hall, a lead clinician in Brighton.

Dr. Redvers brought a claim for constructive dismissal against NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board. The tribunal heard that Dr. Redvers initially raised concerns in July 2020 regarding Dr. Hall's practice of prescribing puberty blockers to individuals under 18. While an initial investigation by NHS England concluded it was satisfied with Dr. Hall's care, a separate report six years later uncovered multiple failings affecting up to 78 children at his practice.

Dr. Redvers' initial concerns stemmed from an 18-year-old female patient seeking to transfer to an overseas online clinic for testosterone prescriptions. Dr. Redvers discovered that Dr. Hall, a transgender man and a vocal advocate for trans rights, had also issued such prescriptions. Dr. Hall was a lead clinician at Brighton's WellBN practice, where he collaborated with local NHS services to establish a Trans Health Hub and worked with the Brighton trans support charity, The Clare Project.

Dr. Hall publicly supported "affirmative care," a philosophy of accepting and tailoring treatment based on a patient's affirmed gender. Dr. Redvers, upon learning about the concerns regarding the 18-year-old patient, filed a whistleblower complaint with NHS England.

Despite the initial NHS England investigation finding no cause for concern, further complaints about Dr. Hall's practice emerged. Other GPs reportedly shared worries with Dr. Redvers about the quality of assessments, the prescription of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, and the lack of specialist supervision at the WellBN clinic.

A second NHS investigation was initiated to examine the "full scope" of Dr. Hall's work. During this investigation, Dr. Redvers was informed of a "general worry" about potential allegations of transphobia. This investigation also concluded without identifying issues, but noted "one colleague whose persistent interest in the issue appeared disproportionate," which Dr. Redvers interpreted as referring to her.

Speaking publicly, Dr. Redvers described the suggestion of transphobia as "appalling" and "dangerous," emphasizing the critical need for accurate medical assessments for vulnerable patients. While awaiting the outcome of the second investigation, Dr. Redvers learned of concerns about the care of a 15-year-old patient and consequently referred Dr. Hall to the General Medical Council (GMC).

In response, Dr. Hall emailed Adam Doyle, then-CEO of NHS Sussex, complaining of being "victimized" and seeking protection from what he described as repeated attempts to disrupt his career. It later emerged that Mr. Doyle had met with Dr. Hall for mentoring prior to this complaint, despite initially stating he did not know him.

Although the GMC did not proceed with its investigation, the NHS launched its own inquiry into Dr. Redvers. She described the subsequent four-hour interrogation as "brutal" and "oppressive and very upsetting," leading to several months off work for trauma treatment. Fellow colleagues interviewed as part of the probe also raised complaints about the investigation process, most of which were upheld by the NHS. The investigation concluded that CEO Doyle and the NHS trust should apologize to Dr. Redvers, warning that her treatment could deter other staff from raising concerns.

Approximately a year later, a trans campaigner reportedly suggested Dr. Redvers was transphobic during an NHS meeting. Feeling unsupported by the NHS, Dr. Redvers resigned from her position. As she departed, a group of parents, school governors, and social workers began raising concerns about WellBN and Dr. Hall.

In June 2026, six years after Dr. Redvers first voiced her concerns, an independent NHS safety investigation found that up to 78 children, some as young as 13, had potentially been inappropriately prescribed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones at the WellBN practice without adequate checks. The report indicated that dozens of children may have been harmed.

Dr. Hall resigned from his GP role and as lead clinician at WellBN in June 2025 amid the ongoing NHS England probe. NHS Surrey and Sussex stated in a release that they had engaged supportively with the Employment Tribunal, acknowledging that some employment processes could have been handled differently and had issued apologies to Dr. Redvers. NHS England confirmed that when concerns about prescribing practices were escalated, they initiated formal investigations and later a patient safety investigation.

The outcome of Dr. Redvers' employment tribunal is pending.