NHS nurses working at Darlington Memorial Hospital, who were forced to share their female changing room with a sexually active biological male, have been given what they describe as a ‘humiliating’ ‘temporary’ locker room after taking legal action against an NHS Trust.
Ahead of the General Election in June, five nurses, dubbed the ‘Darling Darlington Five’ and compared to the Ford Dagenham workers, went public with their story and their landmark legal case, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, against County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.
A meeting is now expected to take place between the nurses and Wes Streeting, who is now the Labour government’s Health Secretary, who said in response to the story on X/Twitter:
“I support the nurses and I’m horrified that they’ve had to resort to legal action. We’ve got to find a better way through this and I’d be happy to meet them. We’ve got to find a way through that treats trans people with respect and respects women’s safe spaces.”
Working at Darlington Memorial Hospital, the nurses had been repeatedly ignored by senior management after raising concerns about having to, without warning or consultation, share a changing room with a biological male identifying as ‘Rose’ who admits they are not taking female hormones and is trying to get their girlfriend pregnant.
The nurses had reported that vulnerable women who have experienced sexual abuse, and international nurses who cannot get changed in front of men, were in tears before working on wards after having to get undressed in front of a man.
One nurse has described how it caused her to have panic attacks after repeatedly being asked by ‘Rose’ while alone with him in the changing room: ‘are you getting changed yet?’
The Trust’s policies, however, permits any member of staff who ‘identifies’ as the opposite gender to access single-sex changing rooms, toilets or showers.
After 26 nurses wrote to HR and senior management outlining their concerns, they were told via their ward manager that they needed to be ‘re-educated’, ‘broaden their mindset’ and be more ‘inclusive’.
‘Temporary’ and ‘humiliating changing room provided for nurses
Since the launch of legal action, the hospital and Trust has doubled down on the nurses by continuing to allow the female changing room to be accessed by ‘Rose’ and anyone who identifies as a woman.
A sign, firmly taped on to the door with rainbow colours across an NHS logo also appeared on the female changing room which said: ‘INCLUSIVE CHANGING SPACE.’ In big red letters it also said: ‘DO NOT REMOVE THIS SIGN.’
The sign has subsequently been taken down, but no explanations have ever been provided by management.
Each of the Darlington Five also received letters from the Trust with threats about speaking to the media. Lawyers have firmly pushed back on this and the Trust has since ‘apologised’ for any misinterpretation.
The nurses were then informed in July by management that their ward manager’s office was being cleared out and would become a ‘temporary’ locker room for anyone uncomfortable getting undressed in front of a man.
The ‘locker room’ had nothing in it other than one chair and a hook on the back of the door.
Nurses choosing to change in this room had to leave their belongings in piles on the floor, causing an infection and security risk.
The room opens straight on to a busy ward corridor and is opposite a patient side room. The door has a key press lock, but whenever the door is opened it exposes anyone already getting changed inside and there is therefore zero privacy.
Lockers have only been provided in the last few weeks, but there are not enough for all the women wanting to use the room and the space is limited.
The ‘temporary solution’ has served to humiliate and degrade the nurses and further isolate them.
Fan mail: ‘The World is Watching’
The actions of the hospital and Trust are completely out of step with the overwhelming support the nurses have received, including from JK Rowling and Riley Gaines, plus fan mail sent directly to Darlington Memorial Hospital.
Hundreds of cards expressing gratitude, support and encouragement to the nurses have been received from women across the UK.
One card, for example, said: “THANK YOU for your bravery and for making a stand to protect women and girls. We are all so grateful to you. The world is watching.”
Another said: “Good luck with your case, you are all doing a fantastic job bringing this dreadful situation to public attention and standing up for the safety and dignity of all women and girls. You have an army of women at your back and we are fighting back against this dangerous ideology… you have massive support.”
And another: “Thank you for fighting for women everywhere in your struggle for dignity privacy and safety at work. Wishing you the very best of luck, and when it gets hard, remember there are so many women behind you.”
A CitizenGo petition has been signed by 42,000 members of the public calling on leaders of the political parties to stand up for women by doing whatever is necessary to ensure women have access to single-sex changing rooms and toilets.
‘We will not give in’
In a joint statement, the Darlington Five said: “We continue to be appalled at how we and our female colleagues are being humiliated and dehumanised by the hospital and Trust. Instead of listening and acting on our concerns and the public and media outcry, they have doubled down, putting transgender ideology before women’s safety.
“We were told the locker room would be ‘temporary’ until a solution was found. This locker room, however, does not appear to be temporary and no solution has been found.
“Changing in this room has made us feel humiliated, embarrassed, isolated, ostracised, degraded and dehumanised.
“Ultimately this ‘locker room’ still falls under the same policy as any other changing room facility in the Trust and, therefore, if a male identifying as a female wanted to access it, they could.
“From the beginning we have always advocated for our male colleagues to be given dignified changing room space, we just do not believe that space should be in the female changing room.
“We have been overwhelmed and are truly grateful to the letters of support we have received from women across the country. Your support means the world to us and keeps us going.
“We will not give in to any intimidation and bullying and will continue to stand for justice and for women and girls across the country in this matter.”
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the case said: “This is a hospital where ideology has trumped biology. We call on Wes Streeting to intervene and protect and uphold biological reality in the NHS.”
Find out more about Darlington nurses
