Harassment Campaign Against UK Trans Doctor Beth Upton Continues In Australia

Dr Beth Upton, a UK doctor involved in a high-profile case in a Scottish employment tribunal has began working in Australia after all claims made against her were dismissed, with details of her move and employment details published sensationally by media in Australia.

She has been cleared of any alleged wrongdoing in both Australia and the UK, but this has not stopped anti trans activists from renewing a harassment campaign, and from anti-LGBTQIA+ organisations like Women’s Forum Australia, Family First and Binary Australia from calling for her to lose her job.

Dr Beth Upton, 30, relocated to Australia after leaving the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) at the end of last year after the case made against her became a huge media story in the UK.

Both Dr Upton and the NHS board she worked for, NHS Fife, were taken to an employment tribunal by nurse Sandie Peggie, who was supported in her case by anti-trans group Sex Matters.

Peggie said she experienced “harassment” after being suspended for objecting to Dr Upton’s use of the women’s changing rooms in the A&E department at Victoria Hospital.

It was alleged that Peggie used derogatory language and asked questions that were considered offensive and inappropriate, harassing Dr Upton about being transgender.

Following this, Peggie was placed on special leave in January 2024. Dr Upton subsequently filed a complaint accusing Peggie of bullying and harassment. In December, an employment tribunal dismissed Peggie’s claims against Dr Upton. However, it did find that the health board had harassed Peggie.

NHS Fife maintained that it had acted in line with its policies and described Peggie’s legal action as “both unnecessary and vexatious”.

When the judgment was delivered, Peggie’s harassment claims against NHS Fife were upheld. However, a number of her other claims were rejected, including those relating to discrimination, indirect discrimination, victimisation, and all claims made against Dr Upton.

Dr Upton left both the NHS and the UK after the long high profile case, in which she was frequently the target of anti trans groups and individuals and media scrutiny, where she told media that anti-trans activists “made my life miserable”.

Witch hunt moves to Australia

This week news of Dr Upton’s move and medical registration with AHPRA was published on social media by anti-trans activists, and quickly picked up by both media in the UK who have long followed Upton’s every movement, and in Australia. This included an article in The Australian. Details including the region Dr Upton lives in and hospitals she works at have been included in these articles.

Anti trans and anti-LGBTQIA+ organisations in Australia have renewed the attacks on Dr Upton, despite no evidence she wants to do anything more than simply do her job. The main point of concern for these groups centres on the fact that Dr Upton is trans and registered and practicing in her profession.

Rachael Wong, the chief executive of conservative think tank Women’s Forum Australia was quoted as saying it was “deeply alarming” that the regulation agency had registered Dr Upton as female, also claiming that she “openly disregarded women’s boundaries, privacy and consent”. Dr Upton was cleared of all allegations in her trial.

Both Binary Australia (formerly an anti same-sex marriage group who rebranded as anti-trans once they lost that fight) and religious political party Family First released statements calling for her de-registration.

“Disciplinary action should be taken against the AHPRA bureaucrats who approved his registration as a female,” said Family First’s Lyle Shelton said, misgendering Dr Upton.

Online, the bullying and harassment has been less filtered, with multiple lies published about Dr Upton by “gender critical” organisations and people. Australian conservative activist Angie Jones claimed that Dr Upton “tried to force female nurses to undress in front of him (sic)”, which is defamatory and unsupported by any legal proceeding.

Anti-trans activist and former tennis player Martina Navratilova called Dr Upton a “sexual predator” before later deleting the defamatory tweet.

Shame for Martina that the internet (apparently) never forgetshttps://t.co/OZuUjLGI6K https://t.co/NxGbZc81qw pic.twitter.com/5iYC2ijeA2

— Gender Criticals are unhinged 💚🤍💜 (@THINGSTERFSSAID) April 22, 2026