Darlington nurses have declared it is now “illegal not to make a change” following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that defined women by biological sex, yet they continue to wait for a response from their NHS Trust.
Despite the unanimous court decision and warnings from the Equality and Human Rights Commission that the NHS must update its guidance on single-sex spaces, the nurses report they are still being forced to use an inadequate changing room.
NHS Nurses Bethany Hutchinson and Lisa Locky told GB News: “We’ve not heard anything at all from the Trust. They haven’t bothered or had the decency to speak to us. So, we are still waiting to hear from them and to have a discussion.
“We’ve basically been met with silence from the Trust for about the past year. They now have much clearer guidance that they can use to create a new policy.
The nurses said they have “heard nothing” about the guidance change
GB NEWS
“We just hope that’s what they’ll doubt again, we’re still waiting. We’re still using our small changing room.”
Hutchinson added: “Yes, we were forced into a side room, and it’s been extremely uncomfortable. It’s been awful for us really, really stressful. I think a lot of us feel like we’ve been gaslighted by the Trust.
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“We feel we can’t actually trust senior members of the team, that they don’t have our backs, and that they’d rather prioritise the rights of one male over the rights and genuine concerns of women, some of whom are survivors of abuse and have trauma.
“They’ve chosen to allow a male to use the female changing room, creating disruption and discomfort, and instead removed the biological women with concerns, putting us in a tiny cupboard with hardly any lockers. It opens onto a very busy corridor where people can see us changing. It’s absolutely shocking.
“And the added insult, really, is that after a long day of saving lives, we’re shoved into a side room. I presume the NHS Trust and other public services too have been guilty of this kind of thing.
“And dare I say, probably a lot of private companies as well, who are terrified of misgendering someone or being seen as transphobic.
“But that should have changed yesterday. There’s now clear guidance. It was a unanimous verdict that hopefully restores some common sense to the situation.
“This needs to be taken seriously and dealt with quickly. I can’t see any justification for delay anymore.”
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled last week that a woman is defined by biological sex under equality law, a decision that has significant implications for NHS policies.
Baroness Falkner, chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has warned that the health service will be pursued if it does not follow new guidance on single-sex spaces.
The Supreme Court revealed the outcome earlier this week
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The nurses’ dispute centres on being forced to undress in front of a transgender colleague in their hospital changing room at Darlington Memorial Hospital.
The colleague, referred to as “Rose”, began using the female staff changing room without consultation or warning.
“We were forced into a side room, and it’s been extremely uncomfortable. It’s been awful for us—really, really stressful,” said Bethany Hutchinson.
One nurse, who experienced sexual abuse as a child, reported suffering panic attacks after Rose repeatedly asked her: “Are you getting changed yet?”
When 26 nurses raised concerns with HR, they were told they needed to “be more inclusive”, “compromise”, and get “re-educated”.
