Gender row nurse reveals anguish

Suspension can be a lonely place especially if you believe you've done nothing wrong'

- By Giles Sheldrick Chief Reporter

THE suspended nurse at the centre of an NHS gender row fears her career could be over.

Jennifer Melle, 40, faces being sanctioned for an alleged breach of patient confidentiality.

It is an extraordinary case which centres on claims she “misgendered” a transgender convicted sex offender.

The Ugandan-born medic was hauled before a disciplinary hearing after an incident in which she refused to use female pronouns for a paedophile patient under her care.

Ms Melle, who has been registered as a nurse for 12 years, remains suspended from Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.

It came after Patient X, who was born male but identifies as a woman, was taken to St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, South London, for treatment for a urinary condition in May last year.

Ms Melle’s case has been referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which has the power to potentially strike her off, barring her from ever working in the NHS again.

Terrifying

Speaking to the Daily Express, which revealed her story, the committed Christian said: “I hugely appreciate all the support I have received from colleagues and the public.

“Being suspended can be a lonely place, especially when you believe you have done nothing wrong, so it means a lot.