Wes Streeting has met with five nurses who have launched legal action against their NHS trust over being forced to share a changing room with a transgender woman.
The health secretary said he is committed to the belief that sex is biological being reflected in the day-to-day running of the NHS under his watch.
He met with the nurses after they handed in a petition signed by 48,000 people to 10 Downing Street calling for the government to do whatever is necessary to ensure women have access to single-sex changing rooms and toilets.
In June, Streeting said on X that he was “horrified” that the nurses, who have been dubbed the “Darlington Five”, had to resort to legal action against County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) over the issue. He said: “We’ve got to find a better way through this and I’d be happy to meet them. We’ve got to find a way through that treats trans people with respect and respects women’s safe spaces.”
The nurses had been told by the trust’s HR team that they needed to “broaden their mindset” when they asked not to share a changing room with a trans colleague.
Since August 2023, nurses at Darlington Memorial Hospital, say they have been ignored for raising concerns. The trust’s policies permit any member of staff who identifies as the opposite gender to access single-sex changing rooms, toilets or showers.
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After 26 nurses wrote to HR and senior management outlining their concerns, they were told via their ward manager that they needed to be “re-educated” and “more inclusive”.
One nurse who was sexually abused as a child has described how the situation caused her to have panic attacks after repeatedly being asked by a trans colleague in the changing room: “Are you getting changed yet?”
The nurse, who remains anonymous, told her story to Streeting and in response, he said: “I cannot sit here and look at you and say you need to change your mindset. I don’t think that is healthy or fair.”
During the 45-minute meeting, Streeting said that he believes single-sex spaces matter and that something has “gone wrong in our society” on these issues.
The nurses launched the Darlington Nursing Union (DNU) after struggling to gain support from existing trade unions.
Nurse and DNU president Bethany Hutchison made Streeting aware of the trust’s “pro-trans” policy and he said he wanted to speak to NHS leadership and employers about how to navigate the issue.
‘Unnecessary conflict’
He said the issue has not been “taken seriously enough” adding that “we have created an unnecessary conflict” and society has moved backwards on equality.
Since the launch of legal action, which is supported by the Christian Legal Centre, the hospital has continued to allow the female changing room to be accessed by anyone who identifies as a woman.
A sign affixed to the door reads “Inclusive Changing Space” and “Do Not Remove This Sign”. The nurses have since been provided with a “temporary” locker room for anyone uncomfortable getting undressed in front of colleagues who identify as women.
Hutchison said: “We were nervous going into the meeting, but [Streeting] put us at ease, gave us time and listened, which was encouraging. We now, however, need to see firm action from Wes and a clear consensus from the government and the NHS on these issues.
“Sadly, we continue to be treated appallingly by the Trust. The policy they have in place is putting women at risk and is open to abuse and should be changed urgently. We have been shocked, however, to find that the ‘rights’ of a man identifying as a woman continue to be supported and promoted, while ours as women have been ignored and even pushed out.
Christian Concern email received 27 Oct 2024.“We are not doing this just for nurses. We are doing this for women across the country, for example, those who are working in the police force, but also for sisters, daughters and mothers everywhere.”
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “It’s heartening to have heard how well the meeting went between the secretary of state for health and the Darlington nurses. We are now hoping that common sense can be restored to the NHS to ensure safe spaces for women at work.
“A clear policy statement is required which reflects biological reality and protects women from this kind of upset and harm at work. Legislating to protect and promote ‘gender identity’ doesn’t reflect reality. It leads to numerous unforeseen consequences and unnecessary division at work and in public life.”
A spokesperson for CDDFT said: “The trust is committed to providing a safe, secure, and respectful working environment for all colleagues. Additional alternative changing facilities have been put in place, these include a private, lockable changing room and an office has been converted into a locker room for the storage of belongings.
“This is subject to an active legal claim, therefore it is not appropriate to comment in any further detail.”
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