A nurse in the United Kingdom who was disciplined after a dispute involving a transgender-identifying patient and later suspended for speaking publicly about the case has been reinstated following an internal investigation by her employer.
Jennifer Melle, a nurse at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, learned at a hearing on Tuesday that the trust had decided to drop its case against her. The investigation centered on an alleged breach of patient confidentiality related to the incident.
According to Melle, the situation began when she was asked to assist in caring for a prisoner who had been admitted as a patient. She said the individual was visibly agitated and causing distress among other patients on the ward.
During a clinical discussion with a doctor, Melle referred to the patient using male pronouns, addressing the individual as “Mr.” and “he.” The patient, whom Melle described as biologically male, became upset and demanded to be referred to as a woman.
Melle declined to use female pronouns, explaining that doing so conflicted with her Christian beliefs. She said she offered to address the patient by name instead.
According to Melle, the interaction escalated quickly.
She said the patient responded by shouting racial slurs and physically threatening her.
“He began to yell the ‘N word’ several times and lunged out, nearly headbutting me,” Melle said. She added that prison guards intervened and restrained the patient.
Afterward, Melle said the patient eventually calmed down and staff continued providing care throughout the night.
“At that point, I thought, OK, now he’s calmed down,” she said. “Although I’ve gone through this abuse, I just have to put on my professional hat and carry on and finish my shift.”
The following morning, Melle said she was informed that the patient had filed a formal complaint against her, accusing her of misgendering.
She said she was shocked by the development and requested to speak with a union representative. Instead, she said she was given a deadline to submit a written statement.
“They said if you don’t provide a statement within 24 hours, you’re going to be suspended,” she said.
Melle was later transferred out of her department and issued a written warning. The Christian Legal Centre, which supported her case, said she received a first written warning in October 2024 and was referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a potential risk for not using the patient’s preferred identity.
The organization said the trust did not apologize for the racial abuse Melle said she endured and instead treated her as the offender.
“It was quite traumatizing and quite painful,” Melle said.
In May 2025, after Melle spoke publicly about her experience, her case gained widespread attention. She said she was then informed that she was under investigation again, this time for an alleged data breach.
The trust said the investigation related to concerns that Melle had disclosed confidential information about the patient’s physical appearance, diagnosis, and treatment when speaking publicly.
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust said the suspension was due to patient privacy concerns. However, the trust also stated that it was not aware of the patient being identified by anyone as a result of the comments.
Melle was suspended on full pay while the investigation was conducted.
This week, the trust confirmed that Melle had been reinstated to her clinical duties.
In a statement, a spokesperson said that following the investigation into a breach of patient confidentiality, the previously suspended staff member had been cleared to return to work.
The trust added that racial abuse of staff would not be tolerated and expressed regret that Melle had experienced such treatment.
Although she has been reinstated, Melle plans to continue pursuing her case through an employment tribunal scheduled for April.
She alleges harassment, discrimination, victimization, and violations of her freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Melle said she was grateful for the support she received during the investigation and expressed appreciation for those who had prayed for her throughout the process.
She said her faith helped her endure the ordeal and described it as an anchor during the suspension.
Melle’s case comes amid heightened attention on workplace disputes within the NHS involving gender identity policies.
Earlier this month, an employment tribunal ruled in favor of a group of female nurses at Darlington Memorial Hospital who objected to a biologically male, transgender-identifying colleague using the women’s changing room.
The tribunal found that the NHS trust had violated the dignity of the nurses, who said they were threatened and disciplined after raising concerns. The nurses alleged that the colleague walked around the changing room undressed and attempted to interact with them while they were changing.
The group filed their claim in May 2024 against the County Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital Trust.
According to reporting on the ruling, the tribunal said the trust’s policy had an admirable purpose but resulted in a hostile, humiliating, and degrading environment for the nurses.
Melle said the outcome of both cases suggests that issues surrounding workplace policy and staff protections are increasingly being examined.
She said she hopes lessons will be learned from her experience and emphasized the need for fairness and protection for healthcare workers.
Melle said she remains determined to ensure that no nurse is placed in a position where they feel punished for carrying out their professional duties in line with their beliefs.