Nurse Jennifer Melle has reached a settlement with the NHS trust she had been suing, after being disciplined for referring to a transgender patient using male pronouns and later suspended over concerns she might breach patient confidentiality by speaking publicly about the case. The agreement was reached before her employment tribunal was due to begin on 13 April, and the terms will remain confidential.
Melle, who worked at St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, south London, said the patient involved racially abused her after she referred to them as “he” and “Mr” during an incident in May 2024. According to reporting on the case, Melle said she could not use the patient’s preferred pronouns because of her Christian beliefs, and instead offered to use the patient’s name.
She was later given a written warning over the incident. In March 2025, she was suspended on full pay after speaking to the media, with NHS officials reportedly concerned that discussing the case publicly could risk revealing private patient information. The patient was also issued a written warning over racist abuse and threatening language.
Melle was reinstated in January 2026 after a private disciplinary process, and the trust decided to take no further action against her over the alleged confidentiality breach. However, reports say she is still facing ongoing investigations by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
She had brought claims against Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust for harassment, direct discrimination and indirect discrimination linked to her Christian beliefs. The trust has now settled the matter before the tribunal hearing began.
After the agreement was reached, Melle said: “I am glad that my employer has finally decided to extend an olive branch to me.” She added that no nurse or healthcare worker should face what she had experienced “simply for telling the truth, doing their job, and reporting racist abuse and physical threats from a patient”.
In a further statement, Melle said she had been “pursued” both for speaking publicly about her experience and for misgendering the patient. “I will continue to stand up, not just for myself, but for all nurses who deserve protection and respect,” she said.
An Epsom and St Helier Hospitals NHS Trust spokesperson said: “Racial abuse of our staff is never acceptable, nor is discussing a patient’s private medical information publicly.” The trust added: “We are sorry that Miss Melle had this experience and we issued a written warning to this patient, but we expect all staff to maintain patient confidentiality at all times.”
The case has drawn wider attention because it sits at the intersection of religious belief, workplace rules, patient privacy and trans inclusion in healthcare. While the settlement ends Melle’s case against the trust, it does not appear to resolve the professional scrutiny she still faces elsewhere. That final point is based on current reporting that the Nursing and Midwifery Council inquiries remain ongoing.
