NHS nurse reinstated after facing disciplinary hearing over calling transgender paedophile 'Mr'
Jennifer Melle faced a disciplinary hearing after refusing to call a transgender patient a woman
A nurse has been reinstated by an NHS Trust following a disciplinary hearing after she refused to refer to a transgender patient as a woman.
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In May 2024, Jennifer Melle was caring for a transgender patient, who was a prisoner and convicted paedophile, when she reffered them as "Mr."
She was removed from duty after speaking publicly to the media about receiving a warning for using incorrect pronouns when referring to the patient.
The Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust said it was concerned that confidential information relating to the patient’s appearance, diagnosis and treatment may have been shared.
However, the hearing found no evidence that the patient had been identified.
An internal disciplinary meeting has now cleared Melle of any further action, allowing her to return to clinical duties.
Read more: Sandie Peggie vows to continue legal fight after tribunal ruling
In May 2024, Ms Melle was racially abused by a transgender patient after addressing them as “Mr”.
The trust subsequently issued Melle with a written warning, and warned the patient that racist and threatening behaviour would not be tolerated.
In a statement, an Epsom and St Helier Hospitals NHS Trust spokesperson said they were pleased that a member of staff who had previously been suspended on full pay was being reinstated.
The spokesperson said: “Racial abuse of our staff will never be tolerated and we are sorry that she had this experience”.
Ms Melle said she felt “deeply relieved and grateful” following what she described as an “incredibly long and painful journey”.
Despite her reinstatement, Ms Melle is pursuing an employment tribunal claim against the trust in April, alleging harassment, direct discrimination and indirect discrimination linked to her evangelical Christian beliefs.
The Christian nurse told the patient: “Sorry I cannot refer to you as ‘her’ or ‘she’, as it’s against my faith and Christian values, but I can call you by your name.”
She has received public backing from Sandie Peggie, who previously took legal action against NHS Fife after being required to share a hospital changing room with a transgender colleague.
Ms Peggie said she was proud to stand against what she described as the “mistreatment” of Melle.
It comes after an employment tribunal last week found that hospital management had violated the dignity of a group of female nurses who raised concerns about a transgender woman using their changing room.
Eight nurses from Darlington Memorial Hospital claimed they had been "penalised" by managers for objecting to Rose Henderson, a biological male who identifies as a woman, using the single-sex space.
Speaking outside the Epsom Gateway building in Surrey, Ms Melle said: "The recent legal victory for the Darlington nurses shows that sanity and common sense are beginning to return to the NHS. It marks a turning point.
"No nurse should have to endure what the Darlington nurses experienced, what Sandie Peggie endured, or what I have faced.
"None of us should be penalised for speaking the truth, standing by our professional judgment, or living according to our deeply held beliefs.
She added: "I now look forward to the full employment tribunal in April.
"We call on Health Secretary Wes Streeting to immediately implement lawful policy in line with the Supreme Court ruling, which affirms that biological males and females are legally recognized as such."