Nurses are facing professional punishment for doing something that, until very recently, would have been uncontroversial: standing up for women’s spaces and women’s rights.

Two current cases out of the UK, those of Jennifer Melle and Sandie Peggie, show how freedom of speech and freedom of religion are being sidelined, even in defiance of court rulings.

Jennifer Melle is a Christian nurse who addressed a male patient as “Mister”. That patient, a convicted paedophile, then shouted racial abuse at her. Astonishingly, instead of protecting Jennifer from this behaviour, the hospital chose to investigate her.

Jennifer was disciplined for using accurate language, while the racial abuse she suffered was left unaddressed for more than a year. It was only after outside pressure that the hospital investigated the abuse. She is now bringing a claim with the support of the Christian Legal Centre.

Most recently, the Health Secretary condemned the racial abuse, but refused to address the NHS’s controversial pronoun policy. This very policy has led to nurses like Jennifer being targeted for speaking truthfully.

Another nurse, Sandie Peggie, was suspended after raising concerns about a trans-identifying male doctor who was using the women’s changing rooms. For objecting to a clear violation of women’s privacy, she was removed from her role. Sandie’s case is set to be heard in October.

These cases highlight a disturbing pattern. The UK High Court has already ruled that employees have a legal right to express beliefs about sex and gender, and that these beliefs are protected under the Equality Act. Yet the NHS appears determined to ignore that precedent, continuing to punish staff who hold to basic truths about biology, privacy, and women’s rights.

Jennifer and Sandie’s stories echo the experiences of others. Queensland Children’s psychiatrist Dr Jillian Spencer and maternity worker Jasmine Sussex have both faced career consequences for similar reasons. In Canada, nurse Amy Hamm has been dragged through lengthy disciplinary proceedings for stating that women’s spaces should remain for women.

The message is clear: across the English-speaking world, women who speak up for women’s rights, or Christians who act in line with their faith, are being punished by professional bodies.

Freedom of religion and freedom of speech are not optional extras; they are the bedrock of a free society. If nurses can be suspended or investigated simply for using accurate language or for defending women’s spaces, then no professional is safe from ideological enforcement.

It is vital that courts and policymakers hold institutions to account.

Women should never be punished for defending their rights, and Christians should never be disciplined for speaking the truth. If ever they are, organisations like HRLA will be there to defend them. 

^{Image source: Christian Today. Christian nurse in trans-race row says Royal College of Nursing abandoned her. Picture: Christian Legal Centre.
The Christian Institute. Sandie Peggie case brings absurdity of gender ideology into sharp focus.}