Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

GenderNHSLatest NewsLGBTEquality, diversity and inclusion

Nurses urge regulator to pull out of Stonewall diversity scheme

by Ashleigh Webber 7 Dec 2021
by Ashleigh Webber 7 Dec 2021 David Gee 4 / Alamy
David Gee 4 / Alamy

Nurses have urged their regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), to pull out of Stonewall’s diversity scheme and index, citing fears about being disciplined if they disagreed with the charity’s views on gender identity.

The letter, organised by women’s rights campaign group Woman’s Place UK, has been signed by more than 400 nurses and midwives.

It states that Stonewall’s recent activities “do not align with the values and standards of [the NMC’s] code and undermine the ability of nurses to work within [the] code”.

LGBT charity Stonewall has come under fire for its views on gender identity, in particular its advocacy for access to single-sex spaces to be based on the gender a person identifies with, rather than the sex they were assigned at birth.

Many high-profile organisations, including the BBC, Ofsted and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, have recently left Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme – a paid-for scheme which employers join to receive resources and information on how to be LGBT inclusive – after some raised concerns about the charity’s stance on trans rights.

The nurses’ letter raises six areas of concern with the NMC’s involvement in Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme and Workplace Equality Index, which ranks organisations based on their achievements and progress on LGBT inclusivity.

Stonewall and trans rights

Barrister can proceed with philosophical belief claim against Stonewall

Stonewall’s diversity scheme accused of being unlawful

Supporting non-binary and transgender equality in the workplace

The areas of concern include allegations that Stonewall has “misinterpreted” the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and has “erroneously informed scheme members that access to single-sex spaces is based on ‘gender identity’ and ‘self-ID’”, which are not recognised within UK law.

It is also concerned about Stonewall’s advocacy for access to single-sex spaces to be based on gender identity instead of sex, which the letter says has “led to many NHS accommodation policies which undermine the ability of nurses to work within our code and advocate for and safeguard women patients”.

The letter also highlights the potential for an employee to be reprimanded if they disagree with Stonewall’s views. Stonewall is currently being sued by Allison Bailey, a lesbian barrister who alleges that Stonewall pressurised her chambers to sanction her for speaking out and defending the rights of women and girls, in particular lesbians.

The letter concludes: “The NMC requires registrants to always practise in line with the best available evidence and practice; this is key to good, safe care and public protection. We as registrants have a right to expect the same standard from our regulatory body.

“We call upon the NMC to withdraw from Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme and Workplace Equality Index.

“We call upon the four Chief Nurses of the UK to publicly support the withdrawal of NHS bodies and trusts from Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme and to commit that all affiliations and policies requiring action or fulfilment by nurses be fully conversant with our code.”

Nurses who signed the letter raised fears about disciplinary action and a desire to ensure that female patients were protected. A community psychiatric nurse said: “I am very concerned by my employer being part of Stonewall’s diversity champions scheme. I don’t feel I can say this directly without fear of disciplinary action.”

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive and registrar at the NMC, said: “We’re aware of Woman’s Place UK’s letter, although it hasn’t been sent to us directly yet. We understand it’s open for signatures until 22 December. We will, of course, respond once we’ve received the letter and had time to consider it.”

A Stonewall spokesperson said: “This petition is littered with inaccuracies and misinformation. It is disgraceful that these groups continue to misrepresent our Diversity Champions programme, which simply provides support to organisations to build inclusive workplace environments. Ultimately, it is lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people who are harmed by these kinds of baseless attacks.”

HR Director opportunities on Personnel Today


Browse more HR director jobs

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor at OHW+ and HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines, touching on some of the employment and wellbeing issues experienced by those in road haulage.

previous post
US company fires hundreds of staff over Zoom
next post
Ethnicity pay gaps persist but young people are optimistic

You may also like

Transport sector recruitment ‘should be overhauled to improve...

12 Aug 2022

Train conductor unfairly dismissed after ‘black privilege’ comment

10 Aug 2022

How to create an inclusive workplace for religion

29 Jul 2022

‘I’m not an activist: I just want fairer...

25 Jul 2022

Why employers should collect workforce disability data

25 Jul 2022

More than a third of retailers have all-white...

21 Jul 2022

FTSE 100 firms outpace US and Canadian businesses...

19 Jul 2022

Feeling safe at work: Sandi Wassmer talks to...

18 Jul 2022

Next prime minister ‘must introduce ethnicity pay gap...

14 Jul 2022

One in nine UK workers is in insecure...

12 Jul 2022
  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more
  • Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers get the right help? PROMOTED | Workplace wellbeing may seem a distant memory...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+