
Dispute between Sandie Peggie and transgender doctor posed ‘no risk to patients'
Nurse Sandie Peggie was suspended after she complained about having to share a changing room with trans medic Dr Beth Upton at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on Christmas Eve 2023.
She was placed on special leave and then suspended after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment and cited concerns about 'patient care'.
Ms Peggie has lodged a claim against NHS Fife and Dr Upton, citing the Equality Act 2010, including sexual harassment; harassment related to a protected belief; indirect discrimination; and victimisation.
The tribunal resumed in Dundee on July 16 after an initial set of hearings in February.
On Monday at the tribunal, service manager Lottie Myles said she perceived the dispute which led to Ms Peggie being suspended as a 'she said/she said' situation, and there was 'nobody who could provide evidence'.
Ms Myles said she was tasked with conducting a suspension review on February 27 2024, and was told by the nurse's manager, Esther Davidson, that Ms Peggie was 'anti-trans', and 'had transphobic views because of an incident that occurred in the changing room'.
She said that Ms Davidson alleged Ms Peggie had 'some gender critical beliefs, and some other beliefs which she has which may not be everybody's belief', an hour before a suspension review meeting, but Ms Myles said she was not given any documentation to examine prior to the review.
During the tribunal, counsel for NHS Fife, Jane Russell KC, asked about these 'other beliefs'.
Ms Myles said: 'There was views that Sandie was homophobic and there were elements of racism in her beliefs. It's hearsay. I try to disregard views which haven't been documented or there's little evidence of.'
She noted that Ms Peggie referred to Dr Upton using 'male terminology', but said that she believed Ms Peggie's feelings about Dr Upton were 'circumstantial', and later challenged why allegations she branded 'hearsay' had not been documented or escalated, the tribunal heard.
Ms Russell said: 'Arising out of this meeting, what was your opinion about how Sandie Peggie really felt about Dr Upton?'
The witness said: 'I think Sandie probably wasn't too happy with Dr Upton but I think that was more from the incident which had happened. In summary notes, I had asked if she was to treat a patient who was transgender, would she treat them differently?
'I was reassured she said she wouldn't treat anyone trans differently; I felt that it was circumstantial.'
Ms Russell asked for the witness's views on how Ms Peggie 'might deal with transgender patients' after a suspension review meeting on March 7 2024.
Ms Myles said: 'I felt reassured she wouldn't treat them differently. Sandie has been a nurse for 30 years, I'm sure in that time she has dealt with transgender patients. I felt there were no safety concerns.'
She said she referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council code, including on freedom of expression, and the Equality Act 2010 which she described as a 'grey area in a lot of workplaces', and said there were 'several reasons' why she lifted the suspension, the tribunal heard.
Ms Myles said: 'I wanted to be sure I wouldn't be treating either party in breach of the Equality Act. I wanted to have Dr Upton and Sandie Peggie treated fairly and equally.'
She said that a meeting between herself, Ms Peggie and Royal College of Nursing rep Stuart Fraser was 'very difficult' and 'emotional' for Ms Peggie, who was determined to return to the Emergency Department rather than be moved to another department managed by Ms Myles, the tribunal heard.
Ms Myles said: 'I wanted both parties to be treated fairly and equally. The situation was 'she said/ she said', we were limited on witnesses and things being documented.'
The witness said that a return to work would be 'beneficial' for Ms Peggie, and that she wanted to 'make it as seamless as possible', after discussions about moving departments and moving onto dayshifts were both rejected, the tribunal heard.
Giving evidence, Ms Myles said she was aware of reports of 'negative interactions', which she branded 'hearsay'.
Ms Myles said: 'I actually challenged that by saying: 'Why wasn't this documented? Why wasn't it escalated?' Nobody could confirm, but I felt that was hearsay. I felt that to try to prevent any other allegations from happening having a senior team member on duty would be supportive for her.'
She said it was agreed to put the pair on 'opposite shifts' and for Ms Peggie to be supervised during a phased return, describing it as a 'compromise', the tribunal heard.
Ms Myles said that her involvement ceased around April 19 at the request of head of nursing Gillian Malone, and she had no role in the investigation.
The tribunal continues.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
15 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Botched penis "Botox" and filler injections sees spike in male patients attending NHS hospitals
Patients in Glasgow have been forced to seek urgent medical treatment after receiving "botox" or filler injections to "enlarge" their manhood. Growing numbers of male patients are seeking treatment on the NHS for botched penis 'Botox' and filler injections, the Daily Record can reveal. It is understood men have been seeking procedures at unregulated 'pop-up clinics' in Glasgow to treat erectile dysfunction or 'enlarge' their manhoods. The procedure sees botox or fillers injected into the patient's genitals. But some patients have been forced to seek urgent medical treatment at NHS A&E departments with a range of complications. And in one case a patient has required amputation of his penis after the botched botox procedure. There has been an influx of patients in recent months presenting at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, according to an insider. The NHS source said one patient attended A&E after having a vaseline-type substance injected into his penis. 'The side effects were so severe he had his penis amputated,' they said. 'We also had a patient in his 30s who had Botox injected into his penis. He ended up suffering an extremely severe reaction. 'The number of male patients we are seeing coming through the doors with similar issues from botched aesthetic procedures is increasing. 'Pop-up clinics in the Glasgow area are rife. There are day clinics with unregulated people dishing out new treatments then leaving customers to deal with the consequences. 'The men who come in looking for help with side-effects say there are often queues down the street to get into one of these day clinics.' Medical experts have confirmed Botox can be prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction by relaxing muscles and improving blood flow. While filler can be injected into the body to rejuvenate volume. The procedures are gaining popularity in the UK through the influence of social media which can be a fertile ground for rogue practitioners. The Record has seen one clinic in Glasgow offering penis enlargement treatment using fillers with prices starting from £950. Dr Ben Taylor-Davies, who runs the Stockbridge Clinic in Edinburgh and also works as an A&E doctor said his own clinic was recently approached by a company looking for premises to offer genital procedures but they refused. He said: 'I am horrified to hear what is happening to male patients who go to 'pop-up clinics' but I am not surprised. 'There are very few specialist doctors who can perform cosmetic injection procedures on male genitals. It is not a procedure I would ever recommend to a patient, even if you went to a specialist, never mind a back-door pop-up clinic. 'Injections in these areas carry a high risk of infection and could lead to death. 'This is another example of the dangers the public faces over the lack of regulation in aesthetics.' Top Scots plastic surgeon Dr Darren McKeown warned seeking injectable treatment is not a quick fix. He added: 'These procedures for men are very popular due to the rise of social media. 'Many practitioners promoting these procedures on platforms like TikTok make it seem very easy to quickly increase the length and girth of your penis. 'Men need to understand that this is not the quick fix and they have a low chance of success. 'The reality is patients will be plagued with health problems. 'If a man is considering a procedure to their penis you should always seek specialist advice from a urological surgeon.' As previously reported by the Record, the 'back-street Botox' boom has already been blamed for putting pressure on A&E departments at Scottish hospitals. Healthcare Improvement Scotland has since been tasked with bringing in a regulatory framework for cosmetic surgery. Private clinics have to be registered with the authority. There are over 500 registered and regulated clinics across Scotland. A spokesperson for Healthcare Improvement Scotland said: 'Having a cosmetic treatment is a serious undertaking that should only be entered into with due consideration of the very real risks to an individual's health and safety. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. 'We would urge anyone looking to get cosmetic interventions to think about their health and wellbeing, and put their care into the hands of professionals with appropriate training and experience, and where they can trust them to make their wellbeing a priority. 'People should always check that a clinic is registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland before undertaking treatments.'


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Shop-bought health testing kits 'inaccurate and unsuitable', study says
Home health tests bought by people seeking answers about their conditions could give inaccurate and misleading results and require much greater regulation to ensure they are safe, reliable, and effective, researchers have bowel cancer to the menopause, shop-bought health kits now test for a wide range of conditions and are readily available on high streets and in supermarkets across the two new studies, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), say many of the kits lack crucial information, such as who should use them, how to interpret the results, and what steps to take response, the regulator which oversees medical devices in the UK, MHRA, says it is "overhauling" safety standards. Researchers at the University of Birmingham collected and analysed 30 self-test kits, costing between £1.89 and £39.99, in 2023. These included tests for conditions such as bowel cancer, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues, HIV, and the researchers concluded that only 14 of the kits they looked at included any statement about accuracy, and fewer than a quarter gave clear guidance on next steps after receiving a also found that nearly half advised users to consult a healthcare professional regardless of the result, something experts warn could place additional pressure on NHS Jon Deeks, who led the research, said current regulations do not go far enough to protect consumers. "Self-tests have a clear potential to improve public health. However, for them to be beneficial and not harmful, they must be proven to be accurate, easy to use, and supported by clear instructions," he said. Self-testing has been around in the UK for more than 50 years in the form of pregnancy tests, first introduced in 1971. During the Covid lockdown, lateral flow tests for Covid became common. Neither was included in the University of Birmingham research, published by the BMJ. "When integrated appropriately into clinical pathways, self-tests have been shown to increase uptake of testing in underserved groups," say the the BMJ warns that offering self-testing based on the ability to pay, rather than clinical need, risks "widening inequalities and the exploitation of vulnerable population groups". Bernie Croal, President of the Royal College of Pathologists, told the BMJ poor-quality testing could lead to both "false reassurance" and "unnecessary consequences" for the UK self-test market is expected to grow significantly, with revenues forecast to reach £660m by 2030."Direct-to-consumer tests may be appealing to the public, as they can provide diagnostic results quickly, offering privacy, confidentiality, and autonomy over healthcare decisions," says the authors classified 60% of the tests they looked at as "high risk".While most kits carried claims of high accuracy, some above 98%, the researchers say supporting evidence was often not made publicly available. Although manufacturers are not currently required by law to publish clinical performance data, the BMJ calls for greater transparency. The Royal College of General Practitioners has also called for more openness in the Burt, Head of Diagnostics and General Medical Devices at MHRA, said it is examining the research, "We're exploring new transparency measures such as requiring published summaries of clinical evidence."In the meantime, we strongly encourage anyone using a self-test to check for a CE or UKCA mark, read the instructions carefully, and seek medical advice if they're unsure about their result".


Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
JENNI MURRAY: I would be terrified at the thought at giving birth today
It's been 42 years since I gave birth to my first son and 38 years since the second one came along, and I look back at that time with awe, joy and amazement at just how brilliant the maternity services were. As soon as my first pregnancy was confirmed by my GP, I was allocated a midwife who looked after me and my unborn son throughout. She came to check on me every month at my home in Southampton, where I worked at the time, and I went for regular scans at the Princess Anne Maternity Hospital, attached to Southampton General. I was invited to see the delivery ward and meet the chief midwife, registrar and consultant. I was not a private patient, so everything I got was standard NHS practice.