A student of midwife who has been suspended for sharing her pro-life views in a private social media group last night claimed that NHS Fife is 'not a safe place to work for people with protected beliefs'.
Mother of three Sara Spencer spread after an NHS manager had taken action about her 'conscientious objection' to be involved with abortions.
It is the newest 'freedom of beliefs' scandal to get involved in the center of a milestone of legal challenge of nurse Sandie Peggie, 50, which was suspended after a dressing room with one sex.
Mrs. Peggie argued that being forced to share a changing area with transgender doctor Beth Upton amounted to sexual harassment, intimidation with regard to a protected belief, indirect discrimination and victimization.
Now, in an exclusive interview with the mail on Sunday, Mrs. Spencer, 30, said in California,: “I don't think NHS Fife is a safe place to work for people with protected beliefs.”
She added: 'There was a feeling that I had been bad by my beliefs. I broke a rule and I was punished for it and it felt so insulating, so punishable.
'This was an NHS manager who met me for a few weeks and then was willing to tear my studies and career.
“I had discovered my dream job, but then I felt the rejection of, well, actually, you don't hear in our club, and it really hurt.”
Student midwife Sara Spencer, 30, was engaged in a row about her beliefs about abortion.
Nurse Sandie Peggie brought in a legal challenge against the same health sign in the midst of a row above a transgender medicine with the women's dressing room.
Dr. Beth Upton says that she is 'biologically feminine' and says that there is no agreed definition of biological sex.
According to British legislation, nurses may refuse to be involved in an abortion if they have a strong moral or religious objection.
In the meantime, the freedom of expression of the British regulator is the nursing and obstetrics that nurses are free to 'protest and to manifest their personal beliefs' about this issue.
Nevertheless, Mrs. Spencer who was pregnant was suspended as a result of comments about her pro-life views, which were made at a private midwife group.
Her test started in April last year, just a few months after her obstetric course at Edinburgh Napier University, and weeks in her placement in a neo and prenatal care clinic at NHS FIFE.
During a Facebook discussion in a group called 'The Secret Community for Midwives in the Making', she responded to a woman who asked how involved midwives are in abortions.
A few days later, while she worked in the clinic, she was pulled aside by her NHS line manager.
Mrs. Spencer said: 'At first I thought I might have said something stupid or had made a kind of stupid mistake. My mind was racing, thinking what I did? When she brought forward the Facebook remarks, I was stunned. It was the last thing I expected. '
Mrs. Spencer, Van Dundee, added: 'The quote that really kept me with me was that she said:' These comments were brought to my attention. I feel that I have to escalate them to university. ” She said: 'I trust that you don't need me to tell you what comments I am referring. You know what you said ”. '
The complaint was referred to the university, which started a fitness to practice research.
Although the officer responsible for the probe recommended that Mrs. Spencer could continue her secondment during the investigation, the Health Board excluded her.
Mrs. Spencer said: 'I remember that I was coming home and just crying in the bathtub, thinking, oh god, it feels pathetic because, I am a mother, I am an adult. I have children to take care of.
“The last thing I want to do is come home and feel sad because I am being bullied.”
Mrs. Spencer investigated others who had been in her position and came Julia Rynkiewicz, student Julia Rynkiewicz, who was examined by Nottingham University for her association with a pro-Life student association in 2020.
She brought Mrs. Spencer into contact with the Christian Legal Organization ADF International, who supported her through her research.
But even after the university had discovered that there was no case to answer, NHS Fife initially claimed that it did not want to return her.
However, it finally got stuck – and Mrs. Spencer started a new placement in the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, the site in the middle of the Sandie Peggie Row.
Now on maternity leave, Mrs. Spencer wants guarantees from NHS Fife that no other student will get the same demonization.
She said: “I suspect that an apology would be insincere, so I wouldn't really want one.
“But I would like to see a recognition that they were wrong to insist that I investigated, wrong to prohibit myself during the investigation of placement, wrong to respond to my outcome 'not a case to answer'.
“I would like to know what corrective measures they are willing to implement.”
NHS Fife has had to deal with criticism of the treatment of the transgender case.
The equality and human rights committee has written it to 'remember' its 'obligations' under the equality act that 'protects individuals against discrimination and intimidation based on a protected characteristic, including sex, religion or faith, and gender reference'.
NHS Fife said that the behavior of students on placement is a matter for their academic institution '.
It added: 'NHS Fife strives to promote a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees are appreciated and supported in accordance with our legal duty and professional standards.'
Edinburgh Napier University said that it could not comment on 'circumstances of individual students'.
