Is the tide turning?

An NHS board has admitted breaking equality rules by allowing a transgender doctor into a women’s hospital changing room without assessing the consequences.

NHS Fife has confirmed it carried out no impact assessment regarding the provision of single-sex changing facilities for staff, the UK’s equalities watchdog has disclosed.

…

Baroness Falkner, who chairs the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), has now said an impact assessment was a requirement to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). In an unprecedented intervention, she said the EHRC had ordered the board to produce an assessment, and anticipates it will be published by Sept 30.

She said the watchdog had also made clear that NHS Fife must comply with April’s Supreme Court ruling that trans women are not women for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.

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In May last year, Ms Peggie submitted a formal claim to an employment tribunal against NHS Fife and Dr Upton for sexual harassment, belief discrimination and victimisation.

She has recently been cleared of gross misconduct by an NHS Fife disciplinary hearing.

After the first part of the tribunal in February, the EHRC wrote to NHS Fife “reminding” the board of its obligations about the provision of single-sex spaces.

Lady Falkner said: “Earlier this year, we asked NHS Fife to provide us with information on the provision of single-sex changing facilities for staff and the rights of different groups in the application of these policies. At that point, NHS Fife confirmed no equality impact assessment was available.

“Undertaking an equality impact assessment of relevant policies or practices, and publishing the results, are requirements of the PSED specific duties in Scotland. We believe NHS Fife failed to meet these requirements and told them to carry one out immediately.”

It’s about goddam time.

Tess White, the Scottish Tories’ shadow equalities minister, said: “This damning directive from the EHRC confirms that, on top of being negligent, incompetent and biased, NHS Fife broke the law in relation to the Sandie Peggie case.

“The shameful admission from the health board confirms that Sandie Peggie was hung out to dry from the very beginning of this tawdry scandal simply for standing up for her rights as a woman.”

As anyone with a brain could have seen all along.