Nurse at centre of gender storm takes action against union

A nurse at the centre of a gender dispute has announced she is taking legal action against her trade union.

Sandie Peggie was suspended from her job in 2024 after she complained about having to share a changing room with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton.

Ms Peggie was later placed on special leave after a complaint of bullying and harassment by Dr Upton, but was cleared by an NHS Fife investigation earlier this week.

The RCN’s failure to act like a trade union ought to has contributed to Sandie Peggie’s mistreatment

The suspension led to an employment tribunal this year, in which Ms Peggie launched a claim against Dr Upton and NHS Fife, citing the Equality Act 2010, including sexual harassment, harassment related to a protected belief, indirect discrimination and victimisation.

On Saturday, the Herald reported that Ms Peggie had taken legal action against the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), claiming it failed to support her after her suspension, which the union denies.

“The RCN’s failure to act like a trade union ought to has contributed to Sandie Peggie’s mistreatment,” Ms Peggie’s lawyer Margaret Gribbon said in a statement.

“They have repeatedly failed to exercise their industrial muscle to advocate for female members distressed because they are being deprived of genuine single-sex spaces to dress and undress at work.

“Had the RCN fulfilled the conventional role of a trade union, it is less likely that Sandie would have faced the ordeal of an 18-month disciplinary process and having to raise legal proceedings against Fife Health Board.”

The paper reported that Ms Peggie will be taking action for unlawful discrimination.

An RCN spokesperson told the newspaper: “We have responded to the claim, and we deny all the allegations from Ms Peggie.”