Sandie Peggie to appeal tribunal ruling in claim against nursing union

Nurse Sandie Peggie is to appeal against an employment tribunal’s decision to dismiss her claim that the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) discriminated against her because of her gender-critical beliefs.

Her legal team said on Wednesday that a notice of appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal was expected to be submitted within the coming week, the Press Association reported.

A spokeswoman for Ms Peggie said: “Sandie remains deeply grateful to all those who gave evidence on her behalf.” It added: “Given that the appeal process will shortly be under way, no further comment will be made at this stage.”

The ruling

In her judgment, Employment Judge Melanie Sangster dismissed all three of Ms Peggie’s complaints: that the RCN failed to advise her properly after she objected to sharing a changing room with a transgender doctor at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, that it refused to fund legal help for a further claim against NHS Fife, and that it failed to get full assurances from NHS Fife on single-sex spaces.

The RCN accepted that her belief is protected under the Equality Act 2010, but the judge found its actions had not been influenced by it, STV News reported. The RCN said: “The judgment is comprehensive and we welcome the decision that we did not discriminate against our member based on her protected beliefs,” the Scottish Daily Express reported.

In December 2025 a separate tribunal partly upheld Ms Peggie’s claim against NHS Fife, finding that she had been harassed, while dismissing her other complaints.