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2. The apology As part of the settlement, the Trust has also formally apologised to the nurses. They said in a letter to each nurse: “we recognise that we have a responsibility to provide a safe, respectful and inclusive working environment for everyone and the Tribunal’s findings make clear that we did not get this right for you, for which the Trust expresses its sincere apologies.” Furthermore, they say that: “We also acknowledge that in our decision making, we did not adequately consider your concerns, formally or informally and we sincerely regret that we were unable to get this right. In light of the judgment, we have reviewed our policies and the changes that have already been put in place and will consider what facilities are required to follow the Tribunal’s findings in a way that is respectful to all of our colleagues. The Trust is committed to ensuring that we support all colleagues and is committed to doing so through our respective policies, procedures and actions as well as learning from the findings of this judgment. We know that this has been a difficult and distressing experience for you. We also recognise that, at times, your concerns were not fully heard or addressed in a timely or sensitive manner, and we regret the impact this had on you and colleagues who have been affected by this process and subsequent judgment.”

1. 🚨BREAKING: County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has paid £187,000 in damages, apologised, and committed to separate changing facilities for male and female staff following the Darlington nurses’ legal case. In January, the Employment Tribunal had found the nurses suffered harassment and indirect sex discrimination over workplace changing-room arrangement. The case, brought by seven nurses at Darlington Memorial Hospital, Bethany Hutchison, Lisa Lockey, Karen Danson, Tracy Hooper, Annice Grundy, Carly Hoy and Jane Peveller, was supported by the Christian Legal Centre, which has provided the nurses with legal, media and pastoral support from the beginning of their ordeal. The case has become one of the most significant legal challenges in recent years concerning the freedom of female staff to access single-sex spaces in the workplace, with the nurses being compared to the Ford Dagenham workers and being dubbed ‘The Angels of the North.’ In January, Employment Judge Seamus Sweeney, ruled that the policy, which had been in place at the Trust for years allowing men who identify as women to access the female staff changing room, had amounted to unlawful discrimination. Following extensive and at times deeply protracted negotiations, the Trust has now paid out £187,000 in damages to the nurses, which does not include legal costs, which are still to be decided at a further hearing. This figure also does not include the Trust’s own legal costs of £603,000, and counting, spent on defending its position of allowing men into female changing rooms. See more on our website and in this🧵to see the Trust's apology and commitments on single-sex spaces.... christianconcern.com/ccpress…