Royal College of Nursing Denies Bias in Legal Support Refusal for Nurse
A tribunal hears the Royal College of Nursing denied legal support to Sandie Peggie based on internal rules, not her gender-critical beliefs.
POLICY WIRE — London, United Kingdom — The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has informed an employment tribunal that its refusal to provide legal assistance to a nurse was based strictly on internal policy rather than her personal views on sex and gender.
Sandie Peggie, a nurse formerly employed by NHS Fife, is currently pursuing legal action against the union. She alleges that the RCN discriminated against her due to her gender-critical and sex-realist perspectives.
The dispute centers on a request for legal support made by Ms. Peggie in January 2025. At the time, she was facing a disciplinary investigation by NHS Fife after she objected to sharing a changing room with a transgender junior doctor.
Ms. Peggie testified that she felt marginalized by her union representative during the process. She expressed concerns that the representative failed to treat the situation with the necessary gravity after she was placed on special leave following her complaint.
In its defense, the RCN maintained that the decision to withhold legal advice was unrelated to the nurse’s beliefs. The union argued that her case simply did not meet the established criteria required for their legal support services.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
