NHS England charter to stress biological sex when placing patients in wards

nhs-england-charter-to-stress-biological-sex-when-placing-patients-in-wards
NHS England charter to stress biological sex when placing patients in wards

The UK government is proposing that transgender women should not be placed on single-sex female NHS wards. This proposal forms part of a suite of modifications to the NHS Constitution which further enshrine the rights of patients. The suggestions highlight for the first time the importance of biological sex in the context of same-sex accommodation and intimate care, although access to these rights would still only occur where feasible.

Additionally, the proposals recommend that trans men should not reside on single-sex male wards and that single rooms may be made available to transgender people where necessary. Patients will also be entitled to request someone of the same biological sex supplies intimate care.

Victoria Atkins, Health Secretary, noted that the proposed changes aim to make it clear that “sex matters.” The government, she stated, wants to ensure that patients wanting same-sex care had access to it wherever possible, and in doing so highlighted the necessity of balancing all patients’ needs and rights.

Maya Forstater of the Sex Matters campaign group praised the changes, expressing that existing policies, specifically those referring to ‘sex’ and ‘gender’, have allowed women’s rights to be disregarded. In contrast, Gendered Intelligence’s Cleo Madeleine suggests the government’s priorities are misguided, with robust policies already implemented.

These changes form part of a thorough NHS Constitution review that the government must conduct every ten years. The consultation period for recommendations is eight weeks, with the new constitution release date later this year. The alterations also include ensuring patients have the right to have their loved ones ask for a rapid outside review if the patient is deteriorating. This initiative is in honor of Martha Mills, a 13-year-old who passed away due to sepsis after being admitted to King’s College Hospital following an injury

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