"Darlington Nurses" vs County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust Tribunal Thread 9

[ThreeWordHarpy]

Thread 1, 7-Oct to 23-Oct
Thread 2, 23-Oct to 28-Oct
Thread 3, 28-Oct to 29-Oct
Thread 4, 29-Oct to 31-Oct
Thread 5, 31-Oct to 04-Nov
Thread 6, 04-Nov to 05-Nov
Thread 7, 05-Nov to 11-Nov
Thread 8, 11-Nov to 16-Jan (last thread with the schedule and abbreviations)

Five nurses working at Darlington Memorial Hospital filed a legal case against their employer, an NHS trust, for sexual harassment and sex discrimination. The nurses objected to sharing the women’s changing facilities with a male colleague, Rose, who identifies as female. The hearing was held between 20th October and 11th November and was live tweeted by Tribunal Tweets who have comprehensive information regarding this case on their substack, including archives of the twitter threads, lists of people involved and press releases.

At the time this thread was started, the judgment had not yet been published on the Courts website but was widely reported in the media that the NHS was found to have discriminated against the nurses, but the claims against Rose were not upheld.

Ah sorry the image hasn't posted. let me try again.

Thanks @Raquelos unfortunately, I’m still not able to get to the article, it might be because I have had an hsj subscription in the past, but it’s not letting me in.

That was noticeably different and my main take away from the interview today. Has it finally sunk in with Ed that maybe, just maybe, women are entitled to their private spaces regardless of how the trans individual feels?

well, yes, but i think one or maybe two were on TV?
I do think we need to know these things, i guess it will come out.

https://x.com/DarlingtonUnion/status/2013237618629128408?s=20

Great pic!

https://x.com/i/status/2013186563664982216

The Kathleen Stock interview

I don't think I've seen that footage before. How could he sit there and watch footage of dark masked figures holding up smoke bombs and banners aimed at one polite, calm woman and in the next breath call this woman who is seated right in front of him, extreme?

I'm still working my way through the judgment but this part gave me a smile:

We estimate that it would have taken about 10 seconds for Mrs Danson to get to her locker. She was not aware of anyone else in the changing room at the time. Rose was stood facing Rose’s own locker. When Mrs Danson reached her locker and stood facing it, her view of Rose (to her left) was of Rose’s back.

I'd like to commend the judge's excellent use (and non-use) of pronouns.

Also makes clear who is being referred to. GI notwithstanding using 'her' for both may have caused confusion as to who the judge was talking about.

Well now, that's interesting.

How long has Ed Balls known what a woman is? My jaw was on the floor with his performance "it's just common sense" / "why is everyone so afraid?" - compared to the hard line of "TWAW" the Labour Party has taken all these years.

There was a thread on Mumsnet many years ago about how the "peaking" would unfold; those who were against women's rights, would all suddenly be on board, as though they always had been. If anyone can point to it, I'd be grateful.

Ed is in the JM position of needing to be a true believer though. At least publicly.

The reverse ferreting has well and truly begun now the trans desk has been locked in the broom cupboard

I wouldn't be too sure about that. Have you seen the thread about the new civil servant in the Cabinet Office?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5478346-new-trans-equality-civil-servant-at-the-cabinet-office-to-focus-on-the-implications-of-2025s-supreme-court-judgment?reply=149973446

Yes i have, the Supreme Court cannot be undermined in any way. So nobody knows what the actual job will involve it is hard to imagine it being anything other than a made up job to appease the TRA’s in the Labour Party.

I also believe that aside from a time issue, there is no way that the government will amend or introduce a new Act to allow males in to women's spaces.

progress is going to be slow i agree

The Supreme Court judgment can be overruled by a change in the law, for example to the Equality Act 2010. I would expect that someone doing the advertised role in the Cabinet Office who, depending on how they view things, might take it upon themselves to lobby for trans rights, could have discussions with senior people in the government to this end.

That point is not unreasonable but i doubt it will happen

Ed to Dr Stock: "What is it that you’re going to say that provokes this kind of reaction"

Uh, that men can’t magically transform into women. Something humans have ‘known’ for several hundred thousand years, but which some people have decided to argue otherwise in the last few decades.

It just beggars belief that our rights to sss’s relies on the integrity of so few judges as we found to our detriment that can’t rely on medical, educational, sports, corporate, or social professionals or politicians.

So the Trust has apologised then?

www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2026-01-19/trust-apologises-after-nurses-claim-tribunal-victory-in-trans-changing-room-row

Not really an apology!

Wow, they really have worked incredibly hard to not mention women at all in that statement. Twats.

The term ‘colleagues’ is notably overused and their failure to acknowledge the issue at hand - single sex provision is ridiculous.

It comes across to me as them being brittle and resentful about the judgement

Every time the nurses open their mouths their honesty and generosity shines through, especially towards RH, who, according to what we heard in court, really did behave very badly towards them, whatever the conclusion arrived at by the panel. The Trust, totally the opposite.

To be fair it’s just one Grade 7 role, which isn’t that senior. When govt is gearing up for new legislation, there would typically be a whole team (say 6-10 people).

i wonder if the mealy mouthed wording 'all our colleagues' is an attempt to avoid an acknowledgement that they have failed a group of 'colleagues' who share the protected characteristic of being female?

In other words are they trying to avoid being accused of sex discrimination? I haven't fully followed this case but was that allegation actually made by the nurses?