Whistleblower wins £20k

A WHISTLEBLOWER at England’s only NHS gender clinic for children has won £20,000 in damages after her concerns about puberty blockers were shunned.

Social worker Sonia Appleby’s professional reputation was ‘damaged’ by treatment she received from bosses at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust’s Gender Identity Development Service, a tribunal found.

Ms Appleby, 62, said colleagues had expressed concern that children were ‘actively encouraged’ to be transgender without full scrutiny. Employment judge Sarah Goodman said Ms Appleby was labelled ‘hostile’ by bosses after warning of staff concerns, adding: ‘The claimant was reaching the end of her hitherto blameless professional career.’

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust said it was ‘disappointed by the tribunal’s decision’ but that it would not comment further.