Wes Streeting met with five nurses that have filed a lawsuit against their NHS trust for being forced to share an changing room with a woman who is transgender.
The Health Secretary said that his belief in sex as a biological fact is reflected by the way the NHS is run under his leadership.
The nurses met him after delivering a petition to Downing Street signed by 48,00 people urging the government to take whatever steps are necessary to provide women with access to changing rooms and toilets for single-sex.
Streeting stated on X in June that he was’horrified‘that the nurses – dubbed as the Darlington Five – had to take legal action against County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust CDDFT over this issue. Streeting said, “We have to find a way out of this. I would be happy to meet with them.” We need to find a solution that respects transgender people and women’s spaces.
The trust’s HR department told the nurses that they should “broaden [their] mindset” if they did not want to share a bathroom with a transgender colleague.
Darlington Memorial Hospital nurses claim that they have not been listened to since August 2023. According to the trust’s policies, any staff member who identifies with the opposite gender can access single-sex toilets, changing rooms or showers.
After 26 nurses expressed their concerns to HR and senior managers, their ward manager told them that they should be “reeducated” to “be more inclusive”.
A nurse who experienced sexual abuse as a child described the panic attacks she suffered after being repeatedly asked by a colleague trans in the changing rooms: “Are You Changing Yet?”
The anonymous nurse told Streeting her story and he responded: “I can’t sit here, look at you, and tell you that you need to change the way you think.” I don’t believe that is fair or healthy.
Streeting stated that during the 45 minute meeting that he believed that single-sex areas are important and that “something has gone wrong in our society” regarding these issues.
After struggling to get support from other trade unions, the nurses founded the Darlington Nursing Union.
Streeting was made aware by Bethany Hutchison, DNU President and nurse of the trust’s “pro-trans” policy. He said he would like to talk to NHS leaders and employers to learn how to handle the issue.
‘Unnecessary conflict’
He added that the issue had not been taken “seriously enough”, adding “we created an unnecessary conflict”, and society had moved backwards in terms of equality.
The hospital has allowed anyone who identifies themselves as a female to access the changing rooms for women since the legal action was launched. This is backed by the Christian Legal Centre.
The sign on the door says “Inclusive Change Space” and “Do not remove this sign”. A “temporary locker room” has been set up for nurses who are uncomfortable changing in front of female colleagues.
Hutchison stated: “We had been nervous before the meeting but [Streeting] made us feel at ease. He listened to us and gave us plenty of time, which was encouraging. Wes must now take firm action and there needs to be a consensus between the NHS and government on these issues.
The Trust continues to treat us in an appalling manner. This policy puts women at risk, and it is open to abuse. It should be changed immediately. The ‘rights of a male identifying himself as a female’ continue to be promoted and supported, but ours, as women, are ignored.
Christian concern email received 27 October 2024. “We aren’t just doing this for nurses.” We do this for all women in the country. For example, police officers, sisters, daughters, and mothers.
Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre said: “It is heartening that the meeting between the secretary of State for Health and the Darlington Nurses went so well. Now we hope that the NHS can restore common sense to create safe work environments for women.
“We need a clear policy that reflects biological realities and protects women against this type of harm and upset at work. Legislation to promote and protect ‘gender identities’ does not reflect reality. It can have a number of unintended consequences, and create unnecessary divisions at work and in the public life.”
CDDFT spokesperson said that the trust was committed to creating a respectful, safe and secure working environment for its employees. A private, lockable room has been created for changing, and an office was converted to a locker-room.
It is not appropriate to elaborate on this issue further because it is a subject of an active legal claim.
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