Consultant believed dispute over female changing room 'was hate incident', Sandie Peggie tribunal told
Ms Peggie was suspended after she objected to having to share a female changing room with Dr Upton at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy on Christmas Eve 2023.
She was placed on special leave after the doctor 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.
On Tuesday, Dr Kate Searle, a consultant in emergency medicine, told the tribunal that Dr Upton was "very open" about their trans status during a job interview, and had been out for around a year in August 2023.
Dr Searle said that she had known Ms Peggie during her 11-year career at NHS Fife but was unaware of her gender critical views.
She said she had asked Dr Upton "if she was happy using female changing rooms" in August 2023 during an induction and "didn't make any other suggestions".
Dr Searle said she emailed equality lead Isla Bumba on 8 December 2023 to ask if NHS Fife had a policy to support transgender staff but was told it did not.
On her return to work on 29 December 2023, Dr Searle read an email from Dr Elspeth Pitt regarding an "upsetting interaction with another member of staff" and an email from Dr Upton from Christmas Day, alleging Ms Peggie had told her "she can't be in the female changing room, it's wrong and lots of others feel this way" and "she continued to tell me she is intimidated, she told me women have a right to feel safe", and made a comment about "prisons".
Dr Searle said: "To me that was likening the situation to the Isla Bryson case that was very well publicised. Isla Bryson was a convicted rapist who was housed temporarily in a female prison."
She said she was "very concerned" and "knew there wasn't an NHS Fife policy", adding that "according to the hate incident policy it is verbal harassment".
Dr Searle said she had a meeting with Dr Upton at 5pm who was "shaken and distressed", and they completed a Datix internal report together.
Dr Searle said: "We discussed reporting the incident to the police as that's again what is recommended in NHS Fife policy.
"Beth said she would think about it, we looked at her shift patterns to see when she was next due to be in and if she felt safe to do that."
She told the tribunal Dr Upton mentioned two other alleged incidents with Ms Peggie.
In one it was alleged that Ms Peggie was undertaking nursing observations (obs) in a resuscitation unit, with Dr Searle saying she was told: "When Beth walked in Ms Peggie left. Beth said 'do you want me to finish doing obs?'
"Ms Peggie said 'you can finish doing them yourself', and left the room."
Another alleged incident was said to have involved a patient in a suspected mental health crisis leaving.
Dr Searle said that when Dr Upton went to look for Ms Peggie, the nurse "would only speak to her through another member of nursing staff".
She added: "That would make me somewhat concerned for patient safety; in our team we need to communicate very well between ourselves to ensure patient safety."
Dr Searle said she had spoken to the healthcare worker, adding: "I asked if she recalled the situation and she was concerned about getting involved in any discussions about the incident because she said 'I am mixed race and I am worried about getting involved in this for my own safety'."
Counsel for both respondents, Jane Russell KC, asked: "What do you think she meant?"
Dr Searle replied that the case had a "lot of press attention", adding: "Any staff being involved in the case have felt under scrutiny and concerned that their views will be widely publicised when they wouldn't otherwise."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
19 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Inspirational Renfrewshire charity champion Cor Hutton lands Royal appointment
Cor Hutton was announced as the Deputy Lieutenant of Renfrewshire after being personally invited by the Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire. Big-hearted Cor Hutton has been appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of Renfrewshire in a move that has 'flattered' the charity founder. Cor, whose full title is now Dr Cor Hutton MBE BCAc DL, received the honorary role in supporting the Lord-Lieutenant in representing the Royal family after being recognised for her charity work. Corr founded Paisley -based charity Finding Your Feet in 2014 to support amputees and people with limb absence, having lost both her hands and feet to sepsis in 2013. The Lochwinnoch mum later had a double hand transplant in 2019 and has become an inspiration through her monumental fundraising challenges. The announcement was made by the Lord-Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, Peter McCarthy, who personally invited Cor to join his team of deputies. Known for her tenacity, humour and tireless charity work, Cor says she was 'flattered and a wee bit surprised' to be asked. 'I was really flattered when Lord-Lieutenant Peter McCarthy asked me to be one of his deputies and very, very surprised,' said Cor. 'Given that I'm a wee bit cheeky, a bit naughty perhaps, I didn't think I was the typical fit! 'But diversity matters and if I can bring something different to the team with my background and my disability then I'm all in.' Cor's role will see her support civic events, representing the monarchy at local engagements and helping celebrate individuals and organisations doing important work in the community. In 2023, the Finding Your Feet founder was given the title of MBE after she campaigned to raise awareness of sepsis with the Scottish Government. Last month, the 55-year-old penned an open letter to the NHS to mark 12 years since she was given just a five per cent chance of survival after contracting sepsis. In the letter, she thanked all the NHS staff who helped her and highlighted the work those within the organisation do that doesn't get seen. Through Finding Your Feet – one of Scotland's leading amputee charities dedicated solely to supporting people living with amputation or limb absence – Cor has spent over a decade shining a light on resilience, inclusion and the power of peer support. She went on to say: 'I'm flattered to act on behalf of the King and the Royal family and I'd love to help Renfrewshire highlight all the brilliant people and stories that deserve more attention.'
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Faye Winter tells of ‘terrifying' weeks before Love Island due to botched Botox
Faye Winter tells of 'terrifying' weeks before Love Island due to botched Botox It comes as ministers announce plans to cut down on "cowboy" cosmetic procedures by introducing new restrictions on who can access and provide treatments. Reality star Faye Winter appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss her cosmetic surgery bad experience (Image: ITV) Reality TV star Faye Winter has said it was "pretty terrifying" to be subject to botched Botox treatment in the weeks leading up to her stint on Love Island. It comes as ministers announce plans to cut down on "cowboy" cosmetic procedures by introducing new restrictions on who can access and provide treatments. Winter, 30, who appeared on the ITV dating show in 2021, said the Government is taking "a massive step in the right direction" and added that the NHS should not be covering the cost of corrective treatment for botched surgeries. Speaking about the weeks leading up to her Love Island appearance, she told ITV's Good Morning Britain (GMB): "It was pretty terrifying. I wanted to look a certain way. I wanted to look the best version of myself, knowing that I was going on national television. "I went to somebody to do my Botox that I hadn't been to before, and he told me that he was medically trained. I believed him, as so many of us do. "I later found out that he was a property developer, and he had put too much Botox into my forehead, meaning my full forehead just had nothing in it. I couldn't move it and it was fully relaxed. "It was paralysed, and I literally had to wait it out, not knowing if it (the feeling) was or wasn't going to come back." Winter explained that her forehead "had relaxed" and that her eyelids and eyebrows had "drooped". The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said that steps will be taken to protect people from "rogue operators" with no medical training who often provide "invasive" procedures in homes, hotels and pop-up clinics. The DHSC also said the move to introduce new restrictions will reduce the cost imposed on the NHS to fix botched procedures. Winter added: "I think obviously it's a massive step in the right direction. This is only for four years I've been speaking about (it). "So for the Government to even acknowledge it is amazing. But there's also parts of it that I do think, where they say, you know licences... what are they going to look like? "Does somebody just need a passport number at a UK address and they still get a licence? We don't know what that quite looks like yet, and I think it's really important that we know those finer details." Speaking on whether the NHS should pay for corrective treatments, she said: "I don't think that we as taxpayers should be paying for that. I never asked anybody to pay for my correction work, and that was on me, and I had to learn the hard way." Winter was on series seven of the ITV dating show Love Island and was seen coupling up with Teddy Soares. Article continues below Before the proposed regulations come into force, the Government has urged people seeking cosmetic procedures to ask for the provider's qualifications and insurance, and to be wary of "suspiciously cheap" offers. It comes after health officials launched an investigation after a number of people had reactions to Botox injections earlier this year.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Woman's 'uncontrollable orgasmic episodes' baffles doctors - until a common hormone problem is found to be the cause
Doctors were left baffled by a rare condition that saw a 20-year-old woman experience multiple orgasms several times a day, leaving her constantly sexually aroused. Far from being pleasurable, the unnamed woman said the disorder caused her intense distress and interfered with her work and social life. From the age of 14 she also suffered with sharp 'electric sensations' in her groin and pelvic contractions resembling orgasms. Despite multiple treatments, including antidepressants, her symptoms persisted, causing her to believe that her orgasms were being externally manipulated. When she finally visited a hospital in China desperate to get help, her condition had progressed to the point that she could not get through the initial consultation without suffering an episode. Neurologists were left clueless after ruling out epilepsy and a host of other neurological disorders through ECG monitoring and other tests. On physical examination, the patients also showed no structural abnormalities that could have been affecting her reproductive organs and triggering feelings of arousal. Eventually doctors diagnosed her with persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) after a course of antipsychotic medication—risperidone and later olanzapine—proved promising. After a few weeks of treatment, her symptoms began to subside and her delusions improved, enabling her to return to work and resume social commitments. However, it was observed that when she stopped taking the drugs, her symptoms returned. The disorder is still widely misunderstood and is thought to affect just one per cent of people leaving in the UK, most of which are women, although experts say the condition is underdiagnosed. Doctors remain uncertain what cause the complex condition, but it is thought to result from the misfiring of nerves that connect the brain and the genitals. Whilst there is no specific cure, patients can take various medications that work by suppressing nerve signals, in the hope of easing symptoms. PGAD symptoms vary widely but commonly include genital pain and discomfort and intense sensations of arousal without sexual desire or stimulation. Possible physical causes include nerve damage, spinal abnormalities and medication side-effects. Some studies also suggest that stress and anxiety may worsen symptoms. Other schools of thought claim that the disorder is linked to problems with dopamine. Commonly referred to as the happiness hormone, dopamine is a key neurotransmitter involved in the brain's pleasure and reward system. It is thought that excess dopamine may amplify sexual arousal, and could theoretically produce orgasmic episodes and other PGAD symptoms. It follows that the use of dopamine inhibitors, like risperidone and olanzapine may help lessen these abnormal sexual sensations by dampening the dopamine response. Doctors led by ing Yan and Dafang Ouyang, affiliated with several national mental health institutions in Beijing, say case studies like these play a vital role in medical advances providing evidence for widely misunderstood disorders. However, researchers acknowledge that case studies describe one individual, making it difficult to draw conclusions about cause and effect without taking into consideration confounding factors like age, sex and medical history.
