An NHS nurse was disciplined after accidentally addressing a transgender paedophile as “Mr”.
The nurse, Jennifer Melle, 40, was treating the patient—who was from a high-security men’s prison—at St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey. During an aggressive tirade, the patient called Ms Melle a “n—–” three times.
But in October 2024, it was Ms Melle who was investigated and formally disciplined by the hospital. She was issued a final written warning and referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
With the help of the Christian Legal Centre, she is now bringing a legal claim against Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust for harassment, discrimination, and breaches of her human rights. The Telegraph has more:
Ms Melle said: “Ever since I have expressed my Christian beliefs under extreme pressure, I have been a marked woman.”
Last year, the patient, known only as Patient X, arrived from a men’s prison at Ms Melle’s ward to receive treatment for a urinary problem.
During the evening shift, a colleague told Ms Melle, the senior nurse on staff, that the patient wanted to self-discharge and a doctor was called for guidance.
Ms Melle spoke with the doctor on the phone outside the patient’s room, during which Ms Melle referred to the patient as “mister” and “he”.
She said she was discussing a catheter, for a male person, which needed to be removed, adding: “This was a real-life medical scenario that required accurate terminology to avoid any doubt between medical professionals.”
Overhearing Ms Melle, the patient who was born a man but identified as a woman, took issue with the male pronoun and title.
The nurse replied that she was “sorry I cannot refer to you as ‘her’ or ‘she’, as it’s against my faith and Christian values but I can call you by your name”.
The patient began to verbally abuse the nurse, saying: “Imagine if I called you n—–? How about I call you n—–? Yes, black n—–.”
The patient also lunged at her despite being restrained and threatened to make a complaint, she said.
Ms Melle said: “It was terrifying. I’d never been called that word before. And I thought I was going to be attacked.”
Last month, Ms Melle received a letter from the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which is assessing her ability to practise.
Its code of conduct states nurses should “not express your personal beliefs (including political, religious or moral beliefs) in an inappropriate way. Therefore, although [Ms Melle] felt unable to identify Patient X using the preferred pronouns due to her religion… it could be perceived that [Ms Melle’s] actions could… be seen as a potential breach of the code”.
Ms Melle has denied there was any breach of the code and said that a white colleague also referred to the patient as a male but suffered no abuse or investigation.
She said: “My conduct throughout this incident and during my career has been fully compliant with the code.
“I have been put at risk, but I am being treated like a criminal. Sadly, if you put your head above the parapet and speak truthfully on these issues in the NHS, the risk is that you will be knocked down, punished severely and demoted.”
Worth reading in full.
