RELIEVED & DELIGHTED

A NURSE who complained about a transgender doctor using a female changing room has been cleared of misconduct.

- BY GEMMA RYDER

Sandie Peggie was suspended from work at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on January 3 last year, after objecting about having to share the space with trans medic Dr Beth Upton.

She was relieved of her duties after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment and cited concerns about “patient care”.

The nurse took the health board and Dr Upton to tribunal, lodging a complaint of sexual harassment for being forced to share a changing room with a biological male.

Employment tribunal hearings took place in Dundee in February and it was then adjourned until yesterday.

Hours before being due to restart, Ms Peggie's solicitor Margaret Gribbon said the nurse had been cleared of gross misconduct allegations following a separate health board disciplinary hearing.

The hearing, held on June 25, considered four gross misconduct claims: two relating to patient care failures, one of “misgendering” Dr Upton, and one relating to her encounter with the medic in the workplace female-only changing room on Christmas Eve 2023.

Gribbon said: "The evening before the resuming of her tribunal, Sandie Peggie received confirmation from Fife health board that none of the gross misconduct allegations against her were upheld.

"Sandie is relieved and delighted that this 18-month long internal process has concluded and cleared her of all allegations."

In a statement, the health board said: "NHS Fife can confirm that an internal conduct hearing has concluded in relation to a staff member in our emergency department, following allegations concerning conduct.

"The hearing was held in accordance with the national NHS Scotland conduct policy and followed an investigation. It considered several allegations, including regarding interactions