Nurses abandoned by Labour and NHS say trans fight was for millions of women and girls

Seven nurses who challenged a "daft" NHS decision to allow a man to use a female-only changing room have told how they took on the fight of their lives after being abandoned by politically-correct hospital bosses and weak politicians.

For the past three weeks the brave medics have told how they were left crippled by fear after Rose Henderson, a biological male identifying as a woman, was given free access to their safe space.

An employment tribunal at which the nurses questioned the legality of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust's policy has ended. Judgement will be handed down at a later date.

But speaking exclusively to the Express in their only major interview the women said it was only the support of right-thinking members of the British public that kept them sane during their battle and inspired them to fight on behalf of millions more vulnerable women and girls against a woke disease that has infiltrated the public sector.

In an extraordinary assessment of Britain under Labour mother-of-two Bethany Hutchison, 36, who led the legal challenge, said: "We never imagined we'd have to fight this hard to be heard by an institution whose very purpose is to protect and care for women. The silence from those in charge has been devastating. Our aim was to get through these last few weeks and expose what has happened to us. We have done that and have been encouraged by the reaction to our story.

"We now hope and pray for justice in this matter, not just for us, but for all women and girls across the country."

Their case, supported by lawyers at the Christian Legal Centre, challenged a "Stonewall-inspired policy" adopted by the Trust at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Action was launched after Rose - a male nurse identifying as female - menacingly loitered as they changed.

None of the women - known as The Magnificent Seven - was informed their changing room would be infiltrated by a biological male, with one left paralysed by fear when she heard his voice. Another suffered a panic attack after being asked when undressing alone: "Are you getting changed yet?"

In April the Supreme Court ruled the terms "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act refer only to a biological woman and to biological sex, with subsequent guidance from the equality watchdog amounting to a blanket ban on trans people using toilets and other services of the gender they identify as.

But despite saying it "fully acknowledges the Supreme Court ruling" the Trust failed to take action to esnure the women's safety, claiming it was "taking the necessary time to carefully consider its implications for our organisation while we await further national guidance".

The nurses said the statement showed how their genuine fears had been roundly dismissed and concerns ignored and, speaking to the Express, fired a blistering broadside at the Government and NHS for a litany of failures.

Mrs Hutchison said: "NHS Trusts across the country need to implement the law after the clear Supreme Court ruling. It is shocking that has not happened and the delaying tactics being used, for example, by the Government and the Royal College of Nursing. None of us should have had to put our careers on the line for taking this stand, but sometimes in life it takes ordinary people to do extraordinary things."

The tribunal in Newcastle heard complaints were first made by the nurses on the day surgery unit in 2023. A year later 26 women signed a letter complaining about Rose's use of and conduct within the changing room.

Trust bosses did not commission a formal investigation under its own resolution procedures until two months later by which time employment tribunal proceedings had started.

The nurses' evidence opened with the personal testimony of Karen Danson, 46, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse who has experienced PTSD.

She described a disturbing encounter in which Rose, wearing revealing boxer shorts, repeatedly asked if she was going to get changed, causing her to panic and relive past abuse.

She told the Express: "The overwhelming support from people from all backgrounds has kept us going. They understood what our employer refused to: women deserve boundaries and respect. I should never have had to tell my deeply personal and traumatic story, but sadly the NHS gave me no choice. There needs to be cultural and lasting change across the NHS, so that no woman has to go through something like this again."

Colleague Lisa Lockey, 52, added: "It's beyond belief that we spent three weeks explaining something so basic: why women deserve privacy in a female changing room. This should never have been up for debate, but we were given no choice by the Trust and have had to take this stand. I think they thought we would give up and the issue would blow over, but it hasn't, it has got bigger. The support from the public has meant everything to us."

The nurses have been unequivocal in their condemnation of the NHS and those charged with protecting its staff and the public.

Their case centered on claims the Trust violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to respect a right to privacy by requiring them to share a changing room with a biological male.

It also alleged they were subjected to unwanted conduct related to sex and/or perceived gender reassignment, including sexually suggestive behaviour and inappropriate comments, creating a hostile and degrading environment.

The nurses also said they suffered discrimination because of a policy allowing access to single-sex changing rooms based on self-declared gender identity, placing them at risk, while the hostile response from HR left them victimised in what amounted to retaliation under the Equality Act 2010.

Their supporters include Harry Potter author and women's rights activist J.K. Rowling, who said "millions of women stand withe them", and former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies who described the situation an "obscene scenario".

Incredibly 80% of the Trust's workforce are women but the nurses told how they had been left feeling marginalised because of a woke agenda and a steadfast refusal to apply the law.

In one astonishing act of defiance a poster featuring a rainbow - used by trusts to visually communicate a support for the LGBTQ+ community - was placed on the door of the female changing room declaring it an "inclusive changing space".

Tracey Hooper, 47, said: "When you go to work, you expect to feel safe as a guarantee. We trusted the Trust to safeguard us, but instead when we raised concern we were ignored and put at further risk."

Annice Grundy, 56, said: "The fact that we had to justify why a man in a women's changing space is unsafe is staggering. Some 300 women use this changing room, some as young as 18. They just wanted us to go away. They tried to threaten us with letters about speaking out and management showed no support whatsoever."

Carly Hoy, 31, said: "We work in a hospital for the NHS, we are not politicians, but it is like we are the ones who have to sort this mess out. This case is about keeping women safe and the fact we have had to spell that out for three weeks is daft. We thank the public for backing us when our own lot didn't."

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: "This case has exposed a shocking failure by an NHS Trust to uphold the most basic safeguarding principles. For three weeks, these nurses had to argue for what should be obvious: that women deserve privacy and dignity in spaces designated for them. Their courage in standing firm and contending for truth has and will resonate across the country, and we thank the public for recognising the importance of this fight."