Cleared of all charges
For once I’m glad to have woken up in the middle of the night.
Sandie Peggie cleared of gross misconduct allegations
NHS Fife has cleared the nurse at the centre of a high-profile tribunal case of all disciplinary charges.
Sandie Peggie was being investigated by the health board after Dr Beth Upton, a trans woman doctor, accused her of a “hate incident” and patient safety breaches following a confrontation in a changing room at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
News of the outcome of the internal investigation came just hours before Ms Peggie’s Employment Tribunal against the health board and Dr Upton is due to resume.
In a statement, Ms Peggie’s solicitor, Margaret Gribbon, said: “On Tuesday July 14, the evening before the resuming of her tribunal, Sandie Peggie received confirmation from Fife Health Board that, following a disciplinary hearing, none of the gross misconduct allegations against her were upheld.
“This follows a disciplinary hearing on June 25, which considered four gross misconduct allegations: two relating to patient care failures, one of ‘misgendering’ Dr Upton, and one relating to her encounter with Dr Upton in the workplace female-only changing room on Christmas Eve 2023.
“Sandie is relieved and delighted that this 18-month-long internal process has concluded and cleared her of all allegations.”
She’ll never get those horrible 18 months back though.
Excellent news! And more than about time, too. Everywhere I look, people have been criticising NHS Fife for the waste of money – almost a quarter of a million pounds admitted to for the tribunal costs alone – which they’ve cost the tax payers so far, and wondering why they were apparently determined to continue to punish Peggie by dragging her back when the Supreme Court of the UK had effectively pointed out that the hospital had been breaking the law all along.
The BBC’s account seems to be misleading. The Health Board statement quoted in “The National” reads:
“After reviewing the evidence presented, including written submissions and witness testimony, the panel found that there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of misconduct.
“While no formal sanctions have been imposed, the panel concluded that a facilitated reflective practice discussion would be appropriate.”
Leaving aside the annoying phrasing of the first sentence, the implication is that the target of the “reflective practice discussion” will be Sandie Peggie, while the BBC’s version hints that NHS Fife will be reflecting on their problematic practices.
And the headline in the BBC online:
“Trans changing room row nurse cleared of misconduct as tribunal resumes”
if you didn’t read past that, who would think was cleared?
bascule