Christian nurse returns to work after more than 10 months of suspension for indirectly ‘misgendering’ a transgender paedophile
23 February 2026 Issued by: Christian ConcernToday, a Christian nurse who was suspended for more than ten months after referring to a transgender paedophile as a man has been reinstated and will return to frontline NHS duties. (Image)
In May 2024, Jennifer Melle, 41, from south London, who is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, was removed from her ward, disciplined, and threatened with dismissal after reporting that she had been repeatedly racially abused and physically threatened by a convicted male paedophile patient who wanted to identify as a woman.
Despite being the victim of the incident, Jennifer found herself treated as though she was the criminal and was reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a ‘potential risk’ to the public for not using the paedophile’s preferred gender identity.
After taking legal action and speaking to the media in March 2025 about what had happened to her, Jennifer was suspended and marched out of St Helier hospital in tears for an alleged ‘data breach, which saw her reported to the NMC for a second time.
Following an internal investigation, Jennifer was summoned to a disciplinary hearing in December 2025 where it was expected she would be dismissed.
After intense media scrutiny and a dramatic political intervention from the Shadow Equalities Minister, Rt. Hon Claire Coutinho, the Trust postponed the hearing due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’.
As well as pressure on St Helier and Epsom University Hospitals NHS Trust, Jennifer’s case was raised on the floor of the House of Commons and Women and Equalities Minister, Bridget Phillipson, agreed to meet Jennifer.
The Trust re-scheduled the disciplinary hearing for the new year and a cross-party petition calling for Jennifer to not be sacked was launched.
On 20 January, in a dramatic reversal, following the disciplinary hearing, the Trust dropped the data‑breach allegation against her, conclude she had done nothing wrong and confirmed she could return to work.
Nevertheless, the Trust has still not apologised to Jennifer for the distress caused.
Despite her return to work today, her case is far from over. Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, she will continue to pursue her claims at a full employment tribunal scheduled for April in Croydon, where she alleges harassment, discrimination, victimisation, and breaches of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
She also continues to face two active NMC fitness‑to‑practise investigations, one relating to the alleged “misgendering,” and the other to her speaking publicly about her experience.
Earlier this month, she met with the Women and Equalities Minister and Health Minister, Karin Smyth, in Parliament. During the meeting, the ministers confirmed that no nurse in the NHS should be compelled to use someone’s preferred pronouns, adding further weight to the national significance of her case.
“This is not over”
Jennifer Melle said:
“I am deeply relieved and grateful that the Trust has finally confirmed it will take no further action against me. This has been an incredibly long and painful journey, and today I want to give thanks, first and foremost, to the Lord Jesus, who has sustained me every step of the way. I also want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has stood with me, prayed for me, and supported me through the darkest moments, your encouragement has meant more than I can say.
For nearly a year I have been suspended simply for telling the truth: that I was racially abused and physically threatened after using biologically accurate language to refer to a male patient. I was treated as the criminal. The Trust sided with a man brought from prison in chains over a Christian nurse with twelve years of loyal service. That should never have happened to anyone, and I hope my case stands as a warning that the NHS cannot continue to punish staff for speaking biological reality and for speaking out about how they have been treated.
While I am glad to be returning to work, I must say that this is not over. Two NMC cases remain open, and a full employment tribunal is scheduled for April in Croydon. I will continue to fight, not only for myself, but for every nurse and healthcare worker who deserves to practise according to their conscience and their faith without fear.”
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said:
“Jennifer’s reinstatement is welcome, but it is justice delayed and only partially delivered. The Trust was poised to dismiss a dedicated Christian nurse for the ‘crime’ of telling the truth about the racial abuse and physical threats she suffered at the hands of a convicted paedophile. It took national media pressure, the intervention of an MP, and the weight of public outrage to force them to do the right thing. That tells you everything about how captured parts of our NHS have become by transgender ideology.
Jennifer should never have been suspended. She should never have been investigated. She should never have received a written warning. She should have been supported from the very first moment a patient subjected her to racist abuse. Instead, she endured the darkest period of her life: suspended, reported to the NMC as a risk, and abandoned by her union. The Trust has said she did nothing wrong, but it has still not apologised.
We are glad Jennifer can return to doing the job she loves. But the fight is not finished. Two NMC referrals remain active, and a full employment tribunal will be heard in April in Croydon. Jennifer’s case will be a landmark test of whether the NHS can reconcile its gender identity policies with the law, and whether Christian nurses are entitled to the same protections as anyone else. We will stand with Jennifer every step of the way.”
What happened to Jennifer?
Jennifer has worked at St Helier Hospital for 12 years with an unblemished record.
While on duty, she cared for a prisoner patient, “Mr X”, a biological male and convicted paedophile. During a clinical discussion with a colleague, she used biologically accurate language which the patient overheard. The patient responded with racial abuse and a physical threat, requiring security intervention.
Despite being the victim, Melle received a first written warning in October 2024, which was reduced to first on appeal, but was reported to the NMC as “a potential risk”. Staff were later instructed not to speak publicly about the case or engage with her.
Days later, Melle was removed from duty, summoned to an “informal” meeting, and informed the next morning that she was being investigated for a “potential data breach”, without being told what information she was alleged to have disclosed. She was suspended, escorted from the premises, and barred from returning. During her suspension, the Trust strengthened its policy to classify “misgendering” as an explicit breach.
Jennifer believes the data‑breach allegation was used as a pretext for punishing her for whistleblowing and that the process did not adequately consider whistle-blower protections.
She has also described her sense of abandonment by the Royal College of Nursing, which advised her only to “do a reflection” and declined to intervene.
She describes the suspension period as “the darkest of my life,” marked by fear, anxiety and uncertainty as a single mother.
Her case is expected to be a significant test of how NHS Trusts reconcile gender‑identity policies with legal requirements relating to biological sex and Christian beliefs.
