\n Bethany Hutchinson told an employment tribunal that she believed that County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust leadership had shown a \u201clack of compassion, concern and respect\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ms Hutchison is the lead claimant of seven nurses taking the trust to an employment tribunal after a colleague, who was born male but identifies as a woman, was allowed to use the women\u2019s changing facilities at Darlington Memorial Hospital.\n<\/p>\n
\n In her witness statement, formally entered as evidence to the hearing in Newcastle today (Thursday, October 23) she said she first became aware of Rose Henderson early in 2023 when they met on a ward and she noticed \u201chis face looked completely masculine and he spoke with a deep manly voice\u201d and saw a transgender lanyard around their neck.\n<\/p>\n
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\n Ms Hutchison said she had no reason to be concerned, but that changed when \u201cseveral other colleagues\u201d told her that Rose Henderson \u201cwas using our changing room and expressed their feelings of embarrassment and distress because they had to undress in front of a biological male\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Band 5 nurse, who works in the Day Surgery Unit (DSU), said some colleagues found Rose Henderson\u2019s behaviour in the changing room to be \u201cstrange and disturbing\u201d and that they felt intimidated and judged if they decided to change in the toilet instead.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ms Hutchison said she tried to raise concerns with management from July 2023, but by the following February nothing had been done.\n<\/p>\n
\n She said: \u201cAll in all, the nurses at DSU, including myself, felt that the responses from the management and from the HR over many months that had passed since July 2023 did not reflect the urgency of our concerns.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe felt that we were not being heard, and we became increasingly frustrated with the lack of compassion, concern and respect being extended to us by management.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cMany of us felt it was time for me to obtain professional legal advice about our situation and what further we could do to protect ourselves against the ongoing harassment and discrimination.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Ms Hutchison said her ward manager told her in April last year that the trust \u201cwere in support of Rose\u201d and that 26 nurses who had signed a letter of concern about the situation \u201chad to be educated, broaden our mindset and be more inclusive\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n The claimant said \u201cto add insult to injury,\u201d it was suggested that Rose Henderson \u201cshould be the one to educate us to broaden our mindset and become more inclusive\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
\n Read more: Darlington nurse suffered PTSD after trans nurse ‘incident’<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n Simon Cheetham KC, for the hospital trust, suggested to Ms Hutchison that the claimants had \u201cembellished\u201d their account of what happened.\n<\/p>\n \n She replied: \u201cIt is outrageous to say we are lying.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Mr Cheetham said: \u201cI haven\u2019t said you are lying.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n When he said he meant \u201cexaggerated\u201d, Ms Hutchison denied it.\n<\/p>\n \n Mr Cheetham suggested that the nurses\u2019 use of the media interviews in which their trans colleague was named \u201cviolated\u201d Rose Henderson\u2019s privacy.\n<\/p>\n \n Ms Hutchison replied: \u201cHe has violated my privacy and (that of) the women in that changing room and he has done that since 2019.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Staff must travel to the hospital in their own clothes and change into their uniforms once they arrive.\n<\/p>\n \n See more court stories from\u00a0The Northern Echo\u00a0by\u00a0clicking\u00a0here<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n Unlock unlimited local news subscribe today and save on an annual subscription. Enjoy access to our ad-free mobile and tablet app, as well as the digital edition of the paper. Don\u2019t miss out \u2013 subscribe now!\u00a0Click here for details.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n