Oh dear. NHS Fife has come under fire yet again after it emerged that the health board shared details of nurse Sandie Peggie with the Scottish government. Peggie was suspended in January 2024 after complaining about sharing a changing room with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton. The nurse then lodged a harassment complaint under the 2010 Equality Act – prompting a trans tribunal against NHS Fife – before earlier this year Dr Upton accused her of bullying and harassment. In July, Peggie was cleared of all gross misconduct allegations – and it has now emerged that NHS Fife briefings sent to SNP ministers contained unredacted details about the A&E nurse. Good heavens…
The revelation came about in responses to Freedom of Information requests by the Herald, with references to Peggie’s occupational health appointments and other internal information sent to the Scottish government without her permission. The nurse has slammed the health board she worked for, with her solicitor Margaret Gribbon noting:
Our client was concerned to learn about these disclosures and has asked me to write to Fife Health Board asking them to explain why they have divulged her personal data to third parties without her consent and with no redactions. She will consider the next steps with her legal team once that explanation has been provided.
For their part, a Scottish government spokesperson said: ‘It would be inappropriate to comment further while judicial proceedings in an employment tribunal are ongoing.’
The longstanding case has been mired in controversy, with both sides disputing the other’s version of events. Reports say that in the briefing documents, NHS chiefs suggested Peggie’s ‘personal circumstances’ may have ‘contributed to the incident’ between her and Dr Upton – with health board bosses writing that the nurse should have had the ‘skills and knowledge to de-escalate or remove herself from the situation’. The NHS also says that the space at the heart of the spat was a ‘locker room and not a designated changing room’. Oo er.
The investigating panel felt that the row could have been handled better before Peggie’s suspension, and suggested the nurse ‘undertake a facilitated reflective practice discussion to consider her decision-making in relation to this incident’. It also agreed that the disagreement between Peggie and Dr Upton had caused the transgender doctor ‘visible distress’. The case has come at significant cost to taxpayers, after FOI responses revealed that NHS Fife had spent more than £320,000 in legal fees – and the tribunal result has yet to be published. Stay tuned…
Comments