In a major triumph for women’s rights and biological reality, Darlington nurses have won a groundbreaking Employment Tribunal ruling against the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. On January 16, 2026, Employment Judge Sweeney declared the Trust’s “Transitioning in the Workplace” policy unlawful, as it forced female nurses to share changing rooms with a biological male identifying as a woman, violating the Equality Act.
The case stemmed from concerns raised in August and September 2023, and April 4, 2024, when nurses, including Bethany Hutchison, president of the Darlington Nursing Union, objected to the policy. For 11 months, they were relegated to a temporary office opening onto a public corridor, breaching fire regulations and compromising safety. The Tribunal found this created a “hostile, humiliating, and degrading environment,” rejecting the Trust’s claims and disbelieving HR manager Ms. Atkinson’s testimony about urging nurses to “broaden their mindset” and be “inclusive.”
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre and barrister Niazi Fetto KC, the nurses drew backing from figures like J.K. Rowling, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. Hutchison hailed the decision: “This is a victory for common sense and every woman who wants to feel safe at work. No woman should choose between her job and her safety.” Andrea Williams of the Christian Legal Centre blasted the NHS for being “captured by extreme gender ideology,” sacrificing women’s dignity.
The ruling references the Supreme Court’s For Women Scotland decision and Workplace Regulations 1992, affirming single-sex spaces for propriety.This verdict exposes flaws in progressive NHS policies prioritizing gender identity over sex-based protections.