'FOR THE SAFETY AND DIGNITY OF EVERY WOMAN AND GIRL'

EXCLUSIVE 'Magnificent Seven' Darlington nurses continue their female-only spaces fight.

- By Giles Sheldrick Chief Reporter

THESE are the brave NHS nurses waging a historic fight for female-only spaces.

Seen together for the first time, the Magnificent Seven - as they have become known - are set for a showdown with bosses who let “unlawful workplace policies” continue despite the Supreme Court ruling in favour of biological sex over gender.

In a rallying call they declared the battle was on against dogma, to secure “safety and dignity for every woman and girl”. The group has launched a challenge to County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust which has allowed a man identifying as “Rose” to use female-only changing rooms.

The landmark employment tribunal seeks to clarify their right to undress at work without a man present – but it is set to become a defining point in a “trans rights” row that has engulfed the public sector. Mother-of-two Bethany Hutchison, the action group's leader, said: "We are nurses who love our jobs and our patients and only want to be afforded the dignity of getting dressed and undressed for work without a man present.

“We are shocked it has come this far, even more so after April’s Supreme Court ruling.

“We are doing this for the safety and dignity of every woman and girl across society and we will continue to fight these unlawful policies.”

Her colleague Carly Hoy added: “We're not asking for anything outrageous, just the basic right to get changed for work without a bloke in the room.”

Their case, backed by lawyers for the Christian Legal Centre, challenges a “Stonewall-inspired policy” instituted by the trust at Darlington Memorial Hospital. Action began after Rose, a male nurse identifying as female, loitered as they changed.

The nurses had not been warned the room would be used by a biological male and one said she was left terror-stricken when she heard his voice.