Nurse Sandie Peggie Cleared of Misconduct Amidst Changing Room Controversy, Tribunal Hopefully Resumes with Women's Gender Rights in Focus

Kirkcaldy, Fife – Nurse Sandie Peggie has been emphatically cleared of all misconduct allegations, including ‘misgendering’ a colleague and patient care failures, following her suspension for objecting to a transgender doctor using a female changing room at an NHS Fife hospital. The decision comes as her employment tribunal, focused on the critical issue of single-sex spaces for biological women, resumes.

Ms. Peggie’s suspension from Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on January 3, 2024, stemmed from an allegation of bullying and harassment made by Dr. Beth Upton, the transgender doctor involved. The internal disciplinary process, concluding in July 2025, meticulously reviewed four gross misconduct allegations. These included two relating to patient care, one of ‘misgendering’ Dr. Upton, and crucially, an allegation concerning her encounter with Dr. Upton in the workplace female-only changing room on Christmas Eve 2023.

Ms. Peggie's solicitor, Margaret Gribbon, confirmed that, "none of the gross misconduct allegations against her were upheld", expressing Sandie's profound relief at the conclusion of the 18-month-long internal process. This complete vindication underscores Ms. Peggie's consistent assertion that her actions were rooted in the fundamental right to dignity and privacy for biological females within designated single-sex spaces.

This significant internal victory for Ms. Peggie coincides with the resumption of her employment tribunal against NHS Fife and Dr. Upton. Ms. Peggie initiated this tribunal, lodging complaints of sexual harassment and harassment related to a protected belief under Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010. Her case centres on three incidents involving shared changing room space, alleging indirect harassment, victimisation, and whistleblowing – all underscoring the vital principle of ensuring dignity and security for biological females in single-sex environments.

The tribunal hearings, which commenced in Dundee in February and were adjourned until this week, now proceed in the wake of a landmark UK Supreme Court ruling in April. This ruling affirmed that the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the 2010 Equality Act ‘refer to a biological woman and biological sex’ – a clarification publicly welcomed by Ms. Peggie and seen by many as crucial for safeguarding women’s rights to single-sex spaces.

Adding another layer to this protracted legal battle, it emerged last week that NHS Fife has incurred over £220,000 in costs defending itself in the employment tribunal, a figure revealed following intervention by Scotland’s information commissioner.

The employment tribunal is set to continue for an anticipated 11 days in Dundee, as Ms. Peggie continues her fight, now with the added weight of being cleared of all internal misconduct accusations and a Supreme Court ruling bolstering the legal recognition of biological sex.