Nurse suspended after encounter with trans doctor not herself after, says mother

The parent of a caregiver who accused a transgender doc of intersexual harassment has said her girl was “not her mean self” connected Christmas Day aft an brushwood successful the pistillate changing country astatine work, a tribunal heard.

Nurse Sandie Peggie, who has worked astatine Victoria Hospital successful Kirkcaldy, Fife, for 30 years, has taken the section wellness committee to tribunal on with Dr Beth Upton, aft being suspended pursuing an incidental connected Christmas Eve 2023 successful the pistillate changing room.

She lodged a ailment of intersexual harassment oregon harassment related to protected beliefs nether conception 26 of the Equality Act 2010 regarding 3 incidents erstwhile she and Dr Upton were successful the changing country together; indirect harassment; victimisation; and whistleblowing.

That came aft she was suspended successful January 2024 pursuing Dr Upton making an allegation of bullying and harassment.

She wasn't her mean self. I didn't cognize what was wrong. She was upset. When she started talking she was truly upset

Sheila Bell, parent of caregiver Sandie Peggie

Dr Upton began moving successful the hospital’s A&E section successful August 2023.

On Thursday, Ms Peggie’s parent Sheila Bell told the tribunal that connected Christmas Day 2023, her girl did not look herself.

Ms Bell said their narration was “very, precise close” and she recalled arriving astatine her daughter’s location astatine 2pm earlier the household exchanged presents and past had Christmas luncheon astir 3pm.

She told the tribunal Ms Peggie “didn’t privation to speech astir it connected Christmas Day”.

Ms Bell added: “Until she started telling america what happened she was okay, but she was truly rather upset.

“She told america she had to spell into a changing country the nighttime before, erstwhile she went successful Dr Upton was successful determination and helium was changing. He was successful there, she was hopeless to get herself sorted retired and she felt uncomfortable and embarrassed that helium was getting changed erstwhile she needed to.”

Naomi Cunningham of Sex Matters, representing the nurse, said: “It’s communal crushed that determination was a conversation.”

Ms Bell said: “She did talk to him (Dr Upton) and she told him however she felt uncomfortable and embarrassed. He turned circular and became connected the defence and said helium had each close to beryllium there.”

During cross-examination by Jane Russell KC, representing Dr Upton and the wellness board, Ms Bell said of her girl that Christmas Day: “She wasn’t her mean self. I didn’t cognize what was wrong. She was upset. When she started talking she was truly upset. Before that we were exchanging presents.

“At that clip I didn’t cognize astir what had really happened to her. She was embarrassed, her dada was there, she didn’t privation to speech astir it connected Christmas Day. At the clip she didn’t really speech astir it. The crushed she was uncomfortable and embarrassed erstwhile the doc was determination getting changed erstwhile she needed to get changed.”