A disciplinary hearing into the actions and treatment of Jennifer Melle has been cancelled at the last minute due to “unforeseen circumstances”, with no new date for the hearing yet given.
Melle, a Christian nurse, was suspended in April after an incident involving a trans patient. The patient, a convicted paedophile serving time in a high security men’s prison, claims to identify as a woman.
Melle referred to the patient’s biological male sex when discussing treatment with a doctor and addressed the patient as 'Mr'. The patient is then alleged to have racially abused Melle by referring to her as a “n****r”.
Melle was accused of being responsible for a “data breach” after speaking to the media about her suspension, while the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NWV) has said her misgendering of a patient means she could present “a potential risk”.
Melle claims that she is being punished for whistleblowing.
A disciplinary hearing had been scheduled for Tuesday. The Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Melle, said that the hearing was cancelled due to the unavailability of a member of the panel.
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, called on Epsom and St Helier Trust to drop the case and apologise to Melle.
“Instead, it is dragging Jennifer through months of uncertainty. We will continue to hold the Trust to account and ensure that nothing is done in the dark," she said.
"Transparency is essential, and this case will set a precedent for how the NHS handles conflicts between gender ideology and biological reality.”
Melle said of her case, “I have always sought to provide the highest standard of care to every patient. But I could not in good conscience refer to a male paedophile as a woman. Doing so would compromise truth and, in my view, patient safety.”
Earlier this week Shadow equalities minister, Claire Coutinho MP, called for an end to the case against Melle.
Melle has also received public declarations of support from Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch and Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
