Inclusive changing room poster at hospital felt 'wrong,' matron admits

Rose Henderson, a biological male who identifies as a female, has been using the female changing areas in the day surgery unit since 2019, an employment tribunal in Newcastle heard.

Seven nurses have brought the claim against County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

Complaints were first made in 2023, prompting colleagues to unveil the sign that read "inclusive changing space" in July 2024 in support.

Matron Sandra Watson, who managed several wards including the day surgery unit, told the tribunal she first became aware of the issue in March 2024 after 26 women lodged a formal complaint.

The tribunal heard allegations on conduct in the changing room, which resulted in the complaints, including claims that the nurse would walk around in boxer shorts and stare at women getting changed. These were dismissed as "false" by Henderson.

A statement from the operating department practitioner described their suffering of "both top and bottom dysphoria [which means] that I do not like how either part of my body appears".

"I have never walked around the changing room wearing only boxer shorts. This would make me very uncomfortable," Henderson's statement said.

"I deny that I stare at colleagues, whether at their breast area or otherwise. I don’t tend to look at anyone when I’m getting changed, or when they are getting changed."

"I have once asked another colleague, who is a friend of mine, if she was getting changed.

"This was on one particular occasion when we were due to walk out of the changing room together to our cars, and she was taking a long time, and so I wanted her to hurry up, and I sarcastically asked her something like if she was nearly changed yet."

Ms Watson, who informed her line manager of the issue with the poster, was instructed against action as a human resources process was already underway.

She confirmed she was not informed on the outcome of the investigation due to "confidentiality".

The matron first felt the scenario was "wrong" after a later meeting with human resources.

She asked if she decided to identify as a man, whether she would be permitted to change in the male's changing area - which was confirmed.

The tribunal heard that this did "not sound right" and rang alarm bells.

After speaking with another senior manager, they agreed to take the poster down on their own accord.

However, she did inform the tribunal that she never met any of the 26 women who originally lodged the complaints.

"I do feel like there probably should have been more contact, maybe from me even," Ms Watson said, adding that she could understand why the nurses could have felt "unheard and unsupported."

But the tribunal continues. Day surgery unit ward manager Claire Gregory explains how she does not expect a "prompt" conclusion due to the "complexity of the concern".

Ms Gregory revealed that posters that include the NHS logo, in which the "inclusive" sign did, usually come from the communications department - but this was not the case here.

A temporary changing room was created in July 2024, but hospital bosses took no further action until the following May.

Ms Gregory described the situation as "difficult" and "nobody knew what to do for the best".

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