Nurse Claims Union Representative Didn't Take Her Concerns Seriously

A nurse told an employment tribunal that she believed her union representative did not treat her objections to sharing changing rooms with a transgender colleague with the same seriousness as she did. Sandie Peggie claims the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) did not properly support or advise her after she was suspended following a complaint lodged by Dr. Beth Upton, a transgender woman.

This marks the second employment tribunal Peggie has initiated regarding the dispute with Upton. In December, Peggie partially succeeded in a claim for harassment against NHS Fife, though other allegations of discrimination and victimisation were dismissed. The disagreement originated from several interactions between Peggie and Upton at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy toward the end of 2023, which led to Peggie's suspension.

After her suspension, Peggie consulted with RCN representative Stuart Fraser. She described Fraser as appearing pleasant and explaining the disciplinary process duration, advising her to treat the leave as an extended holiday. However, Peggie testified that she gained the impression Fraser was not taking the complaint as seriously as she was, nor considering any legal ramifications. She stated her belief that Fraser might have thought she had done something wrong to warrant discipline.

Peggie also indicated that following a meeting about her suspension, she felt Fraser was pressuring her to transfer to a different department against her wishes. When asked about her feelings, she responded, "Not supported. I feel like people were taking the doctor's side rather than mine."

The initial tribunal against NHS Fife and Dr. Upton garnered significant attention. Peggie received backing from the campaign group Sex Matters, co-founded by Maya Forstater. During the current tribunal, the RCN's lawyer, David Hay KC, questioned Peggie about her understanding of the term "gender critical." Peggie stated she became aware of it around the time she spoke with Forstater in January 2024, shortly after contacting her MP. She explained that the incident in the changing area led her to believe biological men should not be in women's changing spaces, and that being a "sex realist" was similar to being "gender critical."

Hay pointed out that Peggie's case was financed by Sex Matters and highlighted correspondence from the group describing the case as having "significant strategic importance." He questioned Peggie whether the strategy was primarily Sex Matters' rather than her own. Peggie agreed, adding that her conversations with Forstater helped her understand she had a legal case based on her beliefs.

Regarding communication with the RCN, Hay noted that Peggie first put in writing her feeling of being "failed from the outset" by the union in March 2025. He suggested she had earlier opportunities to express dissatisfaction with the union's failure to offer legal services. Peggie maintained that legal services "should have been offered."

The tribunal, taking place in Dundee, is ongoing.