Left in Limbo: Nurse’s Career on the Line After Refusing to Call Convicted Paedophile Patient “She”
Fellow Nurses Africa – 1 December 2025
By FNA News Desk
A senior nurse in England remains suspended eight months after she reportedly refused to use female pronouns for a convicted male paedophile who identifies as a woman, in a case that has reignited debate over competing rights in the National Health Service (NHS).
Jennifer Melle, a 40-year-old Ugandan-born Christian nurse with 12 years’ unblemished service at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust in Surrey, was suspended on full pay in April 2025. The Trust alleges the suspension followed a “data breach” after Ms Melle spoke to media outlets about the incident.
According to a press release issued today by the advocacy group Christian Concern, the original disciplinary action stemmed from an incident in May 2024 when Ms Melle referred to the patient – described as a convicted child sex offender holding a Gender Recognition Certificate – as “he” and “Mr” while discussing a medical procedure with a doctor. The patient is said to have overheard the conversation, become angry, and allegedly subjected Ms Melle to racial abuse.
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Ms Melle was subsequently given a final written warning and referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a “potential risk”. She claims she was told by her employer to complete a “reflection exercise” to prevent similar incidents in future.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the UK’s largest nursing union, has reportedly declined to provide legal representation or intervene substantively in the case. In correspondence seen by Christian Concern, RCN General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger is said to have informed Ms Melle that the union is awaiting new statutory guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) before taking further action – guidance that has been repeatedly delayed.
The case has gained renewed attention following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling in April 2025 in For Women Scotland Ltd v Scottish Ministers, which clarified that, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, the protected characteristic of sex refers to biological sex rather than gender identity acquired through a Gender Recognition Certificate.
Supporters of Ms Melle, including the newly formed Darlington Nursing Union, argue that the Supreme Court judgment should protect nurses who hold gender-critical beliefs. They allege that NHS trusts and professional bodies have been slow to implement the ruling while previously adopting policies influenced by the LGBT charity Stonewall.
Ms Melle, who is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, has lodged claims of harassment, discrimination, victimisation and breach of religious freedom against her employer. A preliminary employment tribunal hearing is scheduled for 13 January 2026, with a full hearing set for April 2026.
In a statement released through Christian Concern, Ms Melle said: “My Christian faith teaches me that sex is immutable. I should not be forced to deny that truth to keep my job".
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust declined to comment on individual staffing matters.
The case is the latest in a series of high-profile disputes within the NHS involving nurses and midwives who have faced disciplinary action after expressing gender-critical views.
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Source: Press release and supporting documents issued by Christian Concern, 1 December 2025.
