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Conservative MP and Shadow Equalities Minister Claire Coutinho has come out in support of Jennifer Melle, a Christian nurse who was suspended for misgendering a convicted paedophile.
Coutinho has pledged to write to the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), according to the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which is supporting the senior nurse.
Melle was suspended in April after she referred to the patient’s biological male sex when discussing treatment with a doctor and addressed the patient as ‘Mr’.
The patient, who claims to be a woman but is serving time at a high-security men’s prison, is then alleged to have racially abused Melle by referring to her as a “n****r”.
Despite the abuse, it was Melle who faced sanctions. As well as being suspended from her job, she received a warning and was referred to the regulator, a move that could see her barred from nursing.
Coutinho said she would present any responses from the NHS trust and the NMC to Health Secretary Wes Streeting. The NMC has previously described Melle as a “risk” to patients due to her misgendering of the patient.
Coutinho, who has met Melle in person, said, “Jennifer had an unblemished reputation until this incident.
“Even when faced with horrific racial abuse at work from a convicted paedophile, she acted with courtesy and professionalism.
“The treatment she has suffered because of radical trans ideology beggars belief.
“Common sense must prevail, and this dedicated nurse must be allowed to return to work as soon as possible.”A full employment tribunal hearing is expected to take place in 2026.
Melle said she was “deeply encouraged” by Coutinho’s “willingness to listen and engage with” her case.
“I am determined to pursue justice, not just for myself, but for every nurse who is being forced to deny biological reality and their Christian beliefs or face losing their career,” she said, adding that she felt like she had been “discarded” by the NHS. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I spoke truthfully, I acted professionally, and I stood by my Christian beliefs. But it feels like there’s no place for people like me in today’s NHS. That’s heartbreaking.”
She said that the fear of losing her career was “overwhelming” as she accused Streeting and the Royal College of Nursing of leaving her “to face this alone”.
“That betrayal cuts deep,” she said.
“My faith in Jesus is what is keeping me strong, and I know that as long as I am following His truth, I never have to be afraid.”
CLC chief executive Andrea Williams called on the NHS to reinstate Melle “without delay”, saying her case had become “a critical test around the ideological policy framework of the NHS and how freedom of belief and speech are protected within it”. “The NHS has chosen to prioritise contested gender-identity policies over biological reality and the protected beliefs of a conscientious nurse,” she said.
She continued, “Some NHS Trusts continue to disregard or dilute the Supreme Court’s clear rulings on these issues. Such actions are unlawful and must be challenged.“The legal implications are profound. If NHS Trusts are permitted to discipline staff for holding or expressing biological reality, the rule of law itself is at risk.
“Our aim is not only to see Jennifer reinstated but also to ensure justice and proper governance across the NHS.”
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