A SCOTTISH health board is seeking to bar the public from online viewing of future hearings in an employment tribunal about a transgender doctor who was allegedly harassed by a nurse.
NHS Fife has requested that only media be allowed to watch the livestream of the case brought by nurse Sandie Peggie against the health board when it resumes in July.
It said technical issues and “interruptions caused by non-media observers” caused “significant delays” to proceedings at earlier tribunal hearings in Dundee in February.
Peggie was suspended after she complained about having to share a changing room with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton at the hospital where they both worked.
Peggie was suspended from her work at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on January 3, 2024 after Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment, the tribunal heard in February this year.
The tribunal hearings in February could initially be viewed virtually by members of the public, however the judge later restricted virtual access to accredited media.
The health board has asked the tribunal for this approach to continue, but said members of the public would still be able to attend the hearings in person.
NHS Fife said: “During the hearing in February, the employment tribunal restricted cloud video platform (virtual viewing) access to press/journalists due to technical issues, as well as interruptions caused by non-media observers.
“The technical issues and interruptions caused significant delays which impacted the tribunal’s progress. A request has therefore been made that this approach be maintained in July.
“If these requests are granted, accredited media and press outlets will still be permitted to report on matters and in-person public access to the hearing will remain available.”
The health board has also asked the tribunal to revoke the Tribunal Tweets group’s permission to live-tweet proceedings, saying there had been a public complaint about the posts.
Tribunal Tweets told the Daily Telegraph, which first reported the story: “The respondents have applied to have our permission to report using live text-based communications revoked.
“We will contest that application and believe that we have respected the relevant order and hope to be allowed to continue to report.”
Tribunal Tweets, policy analysis collective Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, and the organisations For Women Scotland and Sex Matters have together written to the Nick Goodwin, chief executive of His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), listing what they believe would be improvements to the online viewing system.
