NHS Fife under fire over failure to reveal costs of trans tribunal
To NHS Fife, which is once again making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The Scottish health board has been slammed by the country's information tsar for failing to publish its spend on an ongoing employment tribunal brought against it by nurse Sandie Peggie. Whatever happened to transparency, eh?
After nurse Peggie questioned a transgender doctor for using the female changing rooms, she was suspended by the Scottish health board. The move pushed her to bring a landmark tribunal against NHS Fife and Dr Beth Upton for harassment and discrimination and prompting heated discussion about what the Equality Act says about the provision of single-sex spaces. But when investigators approached the health board about the money spent on the tribunal, NHS Fife refused to be drawn – as the Spectator noted at the time. Instead, the Scottish health board said it had 'no indication of costs'.
This hasn't satisfied Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton, however, who has ruled that NHS Fife has failed to comply with the law.
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