A U.K. member of Parliament has called for the reinstatement of a nurse who was suspended for correctly using male pronouns for a convicted pedophile. The case involves allegations of religious discrimination, racial abuse and institutional bias within the National Health Service.
Claire Coutinho, the shadow equalities minister and Conservative MP for East Surrey, last week met with nurse Jennifer Melle at Westminster to discuss the disciplinary action taken against her, the conservative group Christian Concern reported.
Coutinho said she would write to the chief executive of the Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, as well as to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), to advocate for Melle’s reinstatement and to question why she is under professional investigation.
Melle, 40, was suspended in April, a month after going public with her case, which originated from a 2024 incident involving a patient referred to as “Mr X.”
A male inmate convicted of child sex offenses, Mr X was transferred from a men’s prison to a male hospital ward. While his medical records identified him as male, the name board next to his bed displayed a feminine name.
Melle, a senior nurse with over a decade of service in the NHS, used male pronouns to refer to the patient during a phone call with a doctor. The patient, who overheard the call, reportedly reacted by yelling, “Do not call me Mr! I am a woman!” before shouting racist words at Melle and physically lunging at her. He had to be restrained.
Despite the abuse, Melle said she continued to provide care and pain relief to the patient. She told hospital officials she could not refer to the patient as a woman due to her Christian beliefs, but was willing to use his chosen name. The hospital launched an internal investigation and issued her a final written warning, referred her to the NMC and redeployed her.
The NMC described Melle as a potential “risk” to the public for refusing to affirm the patient’s gender identity.
Melle has since filed a legal case against the NHS Trust alleging harassment, religious discrimination and human rights violations. Her case is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, the legal arm of Christian Concern, and a full employment tribunal is expected to take place in 2026.
Melle remains suspended on full pay. She has also criticized the Royal College of Nursing for failing to assist her during what she called the most traumatic time of her life. A paying member at the time, she said the RCN declined to take up her case and instead told her to “do a reflection” to avoid similar situations.
Melle has since joined the Darlington Nursing Union, which sent a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressing concern. Streeting issued a statement condemning the racism directed at Melle but said he would not intervene in NHS gender identity policies or meet with her.
The Times reported that public figures, including author J.K. Rowling and Cabinet Minister Kemi Badenoch, have expressed support for Melle since the case became public.
In her first public comments following the meeting with Coutinho, Melle said she was “deeply encouraged” by the MP’s willingness to engage. She said the last several months were emotionally and professionally overwhelming, adding that her Christian beliefs and integrity had been disregarded.
“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,” she said.
Melle also criticized institutional responses to her ordeal. “I’ve felt abandoned, not just by my employer, but by the very institutions that are supposed to protect nurses. The Royal College of Nursing and the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has left me to face this alone. That betrayal cuts deep,” she said.
Andrea Williams, Christian Legal Centre’s chief executive, said the NHS failed to protect Melle’s rights and chose “contested gender-identity policies over biological reality.”
She added, “Jennifer has not been disciplined for any professional failing, but for speaking truthfully and acting according to her conscience.”
Williams called Melle’s case a “critical test” of how freedom of belief and expression are treated within public institutions. She also claimed that some NHS Trusts are disregarding Supreme Court rulings on similar matters, which she described as unlawful.
The NHS Trust initially declined to investigate the racist abuse against Melle. It launched an inquiry into the incident only after significant national media attention, and Melle has not received a direct apology.
Melle’s suspension is part of a growing number of contentious disciplinary cases against NHS nurses involving gender identity disputes.
