Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart hosted Jennifer Melle and three nurses from Darlington Memorial Hospital for a meeting with MPs on 24 March. The group discussed their experiences challenging workplace policies on sex-based rights.

Jennifer Melle from Croydon faced suspension after she referred to a biological male patient identifying as a woman as 'Mr'. She was later reinstated.

The Darlington nurses stated a tribunal found they suffered harassment that violated their dignity. This followed requirements to share changing rooms with a biological male identifying as a woman.

Carla Lockhart noted the meeting occurred near the first anniversary of the UK Supreme Court ruling defining woman based on biological sex. She pointed out the lack of a government policy framework reflecting that decision.

Lockhart said biological men's rights identifying as women were prioritised over female staff in many workplaces. She called on the government to issue guidance for employers on single-sex spaces.

TUV MP Jim Allister attended the meeting. He described the nurses' testimonies as heart-wrenching and said their cause involved rights to female-only spaces, freedom of conscience and speech.

Allister questioned how the NHS allowed the Darlington nurses to change in front of a biological man. He also urged government guidance on single-sex spaces for employers.