Latest news with #AmyGallagher
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
NHS nurse ‘forced out for mocking trans flag'
A nurse who says she was forced out of her job for mocking the transgender flag is to sue the NHS hospital where she worked. Amy Gallagher, a mental health nurse, said she was placed 'under investigation' by South London and Maudsley NHS Trust for two social media posts in which she expressed gender-critical views. She was moved into a non-patient facing role during an investigation that lasted more than a year, but felt pressured to resign rather than return to her job because of the 'hostility' towards her. She believes her treatment by the NHS trust was 'unlawful'. In one tweet, she replied to another user's comment about 'woke capitalism' with the word 'Hell' above a picture of a Progress Pride flag co-branded with McDonald's. In a second tweet, she criticised 'non-binary' art and the concept of 'non-binary'. In a reply she stated 'non-binary essentially means ugly'. Ms Gallagher was planning to stand as the 2024 London mayoral candidate for the Social Democratic Party and claimed fighting the 'woke ideology' and advocating for women's sex-based rights were key policy points central to her campaign. But she said the NHS trust saw it differently and she was hauled through 'disciplinary proceedings during which the clinical service manager told me my colleagues did not feel comfortable working with me'. Ms Gallagher explained she was then 'forced into a non-patient facing role' as a 'hostile investigation' ensued. 'They asked me if I thought I had betrayed patient trust by criticising gender ideology and promoting gender critical and classical liberal ideas. They also questioned my nursing practice because I didn't believe that a person could be 'born in the wrong body',' she wrote on a crowd funding page to raise funds for her legal battle. 'Given the hostility I would have received from staff if I returned and the stress of the investigation I had no choice but to resign. My criticism of gender ideology – my protected beliefs under the Equality Act 2010 – has cost me my job,' she said. 'I believe the NHS's treatment of me is unlawful. As a result, I am taking them to an employment tribunal.' Ms Gallagher said legal fees had already cost her £10,000 and she was seeking to raise £2,500 ahead of a preliminary hearing this month. She is being represented by Elliot Hammer of Branch Austin McCormick, who represented the Free Speech Union in the case of Higgs v Farmor's School, which confirmed protection for gender-critical and related beliefs in the workplace. It comes just weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that the terms 'women' and 'sex' in the Equality Act referred to biological women and biological sex. She said: 'My case will be a test case for whether the NHS takes seriously the Supreme Court's decision that sex is binary and that a 'transwoman' is not a woman. People are either biological men or biological women. It is not transphobic or offensive to say so or to criticise gender ideology.' After a 14-month investigation, the trust finally withdrew its proceedings in February 2025, she said.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New playpark being planned on 'optimum' site for breeding birds
A NEW playpark in Enniskillen is being proposed on a site that has been described as "optimal for breeding birds". The play park and picnic area is being proposed for the Cavanaleck area of Enniskillen, and will feature an inground trampoline, slides, swings and multi-play unit. If successful, the play area will have access provided via a 1.5m path, which will lead to a recreation area finished with a 'water permeable wet pour rubber safety surface with pin kerb edging'. The project will also provide wheelchair accessible picnic tables. However, a recent biodiversity inspection has found that the proposed area is an optimum site for breeding birds. "The site and habitats therein are considered optimal for breeding birds," read a report from Ecologist, Amy Gallagher. "All species of breeding birds and their nests are protected under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. "Therefore, if future plans involve, the removal of vegetation on-site must be undertaken outside the breeding season, which extends from March 1 to August 31, inclusive. "Should vegetation removal be required between March 1 and August 31, it is recommended that a qualified ecologist is appointed to survey the areas of vegetation prior to removal for evidence of use by breeding birds. Should any breeding birds be identified, the area will need to remain undisturbed until all dependent young have fledged the nest, and the nest is no longer in use." The application has been made by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council as part of its playpark strategy.
