Darlington nurses awarded £187,000 after being forced to share changing room with trans woman

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has issued a formal apology and agreed to pay £187,000 in damages to seven nurses who raised concerns about a transgender colleague using female changing rooms at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

The settlement follows an Employment Tribunal ruling in January which determined the trust had created "a hostile, intimidating, humiliating and degrading environment" for the nurses working in the Day Surgery Unit.

The Christian Legal Centre, which represented the women throughout the case, confirmed the damages figure on Wednesday, noting that legal costs remain to be determined at a subsequent hearing.

According to the centre, the trust's own legal expenses have exceeded £600,000.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

The case centred on Rose Henderson, a trans woman colleague who was permitted to use the women's changing facilities at the hospital.

Seven nurses from the unit brought their claim against the trust after their objections were dismissed.

Employment judge Seamus Sweeney ruled that the trust "subjected the claimants to harassment related to sex and gender reassignment by permitting the claimants' biological male, trans woman colleague to use the female changing room and requiring the claimants to share that changing room without providing suitable alternative facilities."

The tribunal also found the trust had failed to take the nurses' concerns seriously, compounding the harassment.

However, the judgment made clear that Rose Henderson had not personally harassed or victimised the claimants.

During proceedings, Ms Henderson told the panel: "I am not the individual (the claimants) have painted me to be."

Bethany Hutchison, the Darlington nurse who spearheaded the legal action, described the outcome as validation for their stance.

"We have done this, not just for ourselves, but for our colleagues who were too afraid or unable to speak, and for every woman and girl in the country," she said.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Trans women in Scotland to be removed from female prisons TODAY after SNP decides not to appeal judgment
• Children aged just SIX in line for 'care' at NHS trans clinicsChildren aged just SIX in line for 'care' at NHS trans clinics
• Trans ex-soldier jailed for masturbating in front of horrified nurses

Ms Hutchison added: "We raised our concerns because we believed something was seriously wrong, not just for us, but for the protection of all women in the NHS. Instead of being listened to, we were ignored, labelled, and subjected to pressure and intimidation."

She expressed hope that no woman would ever again feel unsafe at work for speaking out.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, stated: "This case sends a powerful message across the NHS and beyond that ideology cannot override those fundamental duties."

In a statement, trust chief executive Steve Russell acknowledged the organisation should have handled matters differently.

"We have accepted and respected the tribunal's findings from the outset and have carefully considered what they mean for our organisation," he said.

The trust has since introduced updated guidance and created unisex changing facilities to ensure single-sex spaces are allocated according to biological sex.

Mr Russell noted the trust wishes to further improve changing provisions for all staff while recognising these changes have affected other colleagues.

"Our focus now is on moving forward, continuing to support our colleagues and ensuring our policies, facilities and practices reflect both our legal responsibilities and our commitment to providing an inclusive workplace for everyone," he added.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter