Workers suspended by NHS bosses after complaining about sharing changing rooms with transgender woman

A worker has said she is suing the Scottish NHS board after she was suspended from work for complaining about having to share a changing room with a transgender woman.

An anonymous employee has launched legal action against NHS Fife over an incident that happened last year.

She claimed she was in a locker room late at night when her friend, a transgender woman, began undressing in front of her.

In January, the employee was suspended for three months.

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Following her return to work, a disciplinary investigation was initiated into the matter, which is still ongoing.

Alba Party MP Neale Hanvey, who described her treatment as “absolutely outrageous”, said she felt “intimidated and embarrassed”.

An employee was suspended from work after bosses received a complaint from her transgender colleague.

NHS organisations enable transgender staff to use toilets and changing rooms that match their gender identity.

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Banning this practice would likely be a breach of the Equality Act.

However, the employee, who was not named, objected, saying her privacy and dignity had been violated.

Fiona McAnena, campaigns director at Sex Matters, said: “Forcing a female employee to share a changing room with a male who identifies as a woman and then suspending her for raising her concerns shows that gender ideology has taken precedence over all other considerations.

“Do women working in NHS Scotland not deserve privacy from the opposite sex?

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“The Scottish Government appears to be putting men’s feelings before the safety and well-being of female workers.”

A spokesman for NHS Fife said: “For confidentiality reasons we cannot comment on matters relating to individual members of staff.

“NHS Fife is an inclusive employer and is committed to providing a safe and caring working environment for every member of staff.”

Responding to the incident, First Minister John Swinney said: “I don’t know the details of the case but I will look at it closely.

“It is important that the legal measures introduced under the Equality Act to protect single-sex spaces are put into practice.

“It is important to put this thinking and rationality into practice in all circumstances.”