She said she contacted Dr Upton asking for a written submission so the investigation could progress, giving a deadline of January 24, however after Ms Peggie had been suspended for four weeks, the probe had not started, and scheduled meetings were cancelled when a decision was made to restart it, the tribunal heard.
She said Ms Peggie raised concerns with her in late August 2023 about sharing a female changing room with Dr Upton but NHS Fife’s equality and diversity department told her it was “Beth’s right as she identified as a woman”, the tribunal heard.
She said it was “clearly a distressing situation for both Sandie and Beth”, and she put Ms Peggie on “special leave” – meaning she was paid to stay at home – to avoid her “getting into a situation that could cause her problems” as HR was unavailable due to the festive season, and amid concerns the Nursing and Midwifery Council code may have been breached.
She was suspended on January 3, 2024 after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment, initially for four weeks, however this was later extended for another four weeks due to delays starting the investigation, the tribunal heard.
Ms Davidson said a decision was made to extend suspension to enable managers to find a way to avoid Ms Peggie and Dr Upton working together.
