JENNY JOHNSTON meets the NHS nurse who has finally cleared her name two years after being suspended for inadvertantly calling a violent, racist, trans paedophile 'Mister'

What the report says

Dailymail.com reports that Jennifer Melle, a 42-year-old NHS senior nurse from New Addington, has been cleared after a dispute that began more than two years ago and led to her suspension and a legal fight with Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. The article says Melle had worked for 12 years at St Helier Hospital with no previous blemish on her record.

According to the publisher, the incident occurred during a busy night shift in May 2024, when Melle went to help a junior colleague with a patient brought from a high-security men’s prison under guard. The patient was recorded as male in medical records but identified as a woman. While speaking to a doctor outside the room about removing a catheter, Melle referred to the patient as “he” and “Mr,” which the patient overheard. The report says the patient then became aggressive, used racial abuse toward Melle, who is Black, and lunged while restrained.

Melle told the outlet she could not use female pronouns because of her Christian faith, but offered to use the patient’s chosen female name. She maintained that she acted professionally and de-escalated the situation.

The Daily Mail says the case became part of a wider UK debate over gender identity, conscience, free speech and workplace rules in public services, drawing attention from figures including JK Rowling and comparisons with other nurses involved in related disputes. The article also describes the personal toll on Melle, including anxiety, panic attacks and support from her children during the period away from work.