NHS Trust updates changing room policy following legal challenge by nurses

The County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has amended its staff uniform and dress code policy to require that changing facilities be used according to biological sex. The update follows a three-year legal dispute involving seven nurses from Darlington Memorial Hospital who objected to sharing changing rooms with a transgender colleague. The Trust has since apologized to the nurses and provided damages as part of the resolution.

The revised policy mandates that staff use spaces corresponding to their biological sex, while also providing unisex alternatives for those who prefer them. This change aligns with a 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling regarding workplace facilities. Bethany Hutchison, the lead claimant and president of the Darlington Nursing Union, stated that the policy change was a significant victory for the privacy and dignity of female staff.

Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, the nurses had initially raised concerns in 2023, eventually gathering signatures from 26 staff members. Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, described the policy update as a vindication of the nurses' position and encouraged other NHS trusts to adopt similar guidelines.