Nurse reaches settlement with NHS after referring to trans patient as ‘Mr’

Nurse Jennifer Melle has reached a settlement against the NHS, after she was warned for using a transgender patient’s incorrect pronouns and suspended over an alleged breath of patient confidentiality.

Melle, from Croydon in London, said the patient, at St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, racially abused her after she referred to them as “he” and “Mr”.

According to gender-critical group Sex Matters, Melle said she could not use the patient’s correct pronouns due to her Christian faith and instead offered to use their name.

She was subsequently given a written warning after the May 2024 incident, but was suspended with full pay in March 2025 after talking about it with the media.

Melle speaking to the media let to concerns from NHS officials that she could potentially breach patient confidentiality.

The patient involved was also warned that threatening and racist language would not be tolerated by Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Trust.

Following her suspension, Melle was reinstated in January of this year after a private disciplinary meeting. It was decided she would face no more action over the alleged breach of patient confidentiality.

However she is still facing ongoing investigations with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Melle took the NHS trust to an employment tribunal, claiming harassment, direct discrimination and indirect discrimination because of her Christian beliefs, as per the BBC.

Now, the trust has settled with Melle before the tribunal was set to begin today (13 April), according to advocacy group Christian Concern. The terms of the settlement will remain confidential, due to its legal terms.

Melle, who was supported during her legal battle by the Christian Legal Centre and the Darlington Nursing Union, said: “I am glad that my employer has finally decided to extend an olive branch to me.”

She went on: “It should never have come to this. No nurse or other medical professionals should ever have to face what I have faced simply for telling the truth, doing their job, and reporting racist abuse and physical threats from a patient.”

In her statement, Melle said she was being “pursued” for speaking about her experience, and for misgendering the patient. She said: “I will continue to stand up, not just for myself, but for all nurses who deserve protection and respect.”

An Epsom and St Helier Hospitals NHS Trust spokesperson said: “Racial abuse of our staff is never acceptable, nor is discussing a patient’s private medical information publicly.

“We are sorry that Miss Melle had this experience and we issued a written warning to this patient, but we expect all staff to maintain patient confidentiality at all times.”

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