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NHS boss suspends female staff member after she complained about sharing changing room with trans woman

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A worker has announced she is suing a Scottish health board after being suspended from her job for complaining about having to share a changing room with a trans woman.

The unnamed employee took legal action against NHS Fife over the incident last year.

She claimed she was in a dressing room late at night when a transgender colleague began undressing in front of her.

The employee was later suspended for three months in January.

NHS boss suspends female staff after she complained about having to share changing room with trans womanNHS boss suspends female staff member after she complained about sharing changing room with trans womanP.A.

Upon her return to work, a disciplinary investigation into the matter was launched and is still ongoing.

Neale Hanvey of the Alba Party described her treatment as “utterly scandalous” and argued that the woman had felt “intimidated and ashamed”.

The employee was suspended after her superiors received a complaint from her transgender colleague.

NHS organisations allow transgender staff to use toilets and changing rooms that match their gender identity.

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John Swinney

John Swinney

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A ban on this practice would likely be a breach of the Equality Act.

However, the unnamed employee objected on the grounds that her privacy and dignity had been violated.

Fiona McAnena, campaign director at Sex Matters, said: “Forcing a female employee to share a changing room with a man who identifies as a woman and then suspending her from work for raising her concerns shows that gender ideology is allowed to trump all other considerations.”

“Do women working in the Scottish NHS not have a right to privacy from the opposite sex?

An NHS ward

An NHS ward

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“It looks like a Scottish government body is prioritising the feelings of men over the safety and wellbeing of female staff.”

A spokesman for NHS Fife said: “For confidentiality reasons, we are unable to comment on matters concerning individual staff.”

“NHS Fife is an inclusive employer and is committed to providing a safe and welcoming working environment for each and every one of its employees.”

Reacting to the incident, First Minister John Swinney said: “I do not know the details of the case but I will look into it closely.”

“It is important that the legal regulations for the protection of gender-segregated spaces, which exist within the framework of the Equality Act, are applied in practice.

“This thinking and reasoning must be applied in practice under all circumstances.”

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