NHS accepting non-binary sex status

@FannyCann have you seen the freedom of information requests regarding it?

They will have recorded sex, but the way the database is designed it uses two digits, rather than one. So to extract sex from it you need to look at the particular combination of the two digits, not a single sex digit. It doesn’t use a sex field as such, because they’ve designed it to allow them to distinguish trans people, birth sex, sex unable to be identified, didn’t answer the question, etc, not just sex and current gender identity.

The survey I’ve got is the GP Survey so I presume pretty comprehensive. Based on the questions they will be able analyse the results by: age, sexuality, trans, ethnic group, religion. But not sex.

Perhaps they haven’t asked great questions for whatever you’re looking at, or perhaps they don’t want as much information for that particular thing. You would have to ask them.

I’ve not seen the particular questions you’re looking at, but you can see the database itself has been designed to capture all the options. So personally I think it’s a big improvement for everyone.

Say I clicked "non-binary.

Then the second question is "Is your gender identity the same as the sex you were registered at birth? Yes, no, prefer not to say”* i answer "no".

How does that tell anyone whether I was registered male of female at birth?

It doesn't, does it?

No that question identifies those that are transgender. It doesn’t ask if your gender identity is different and if so what - just yes or no. So that provides no information about your sex.

They are effectively asking it by asking whether your current identity is the same as the identity you had at birth. The actual database is more complex than just a sex marker.

I find this shit utterly appalling considering the thread the other day on AIBU about GP surgeries being essentially empty and receptionists only giving out over the phone appointments if they don't say "Just phone tomorrow" for weeks/months on end. (for things like bloody smear tests or kidney infections?!!!), the amount of people replying that they'd experienced the exact same with only one receptionist coming in to defend their practise, even then it wasn't an amazing defence...

They need to stop wasting money on this drivel and get the service working to an acceptable level. Covid can only be an excuse for so long, and when there's this gender crap going on being paid for, having time wasted on as well?
No. Just no.

But there isn’t a question that asks what sex you are?

My guess would be that they would record you as having refused to give your birth sex, but you would have to ask them.

And importantly it will allow safer care, as it allows both sex and gender identity to be recorded, which wasn’t the case before.

They are definitely recording both when you look at the actual data fields they’re using, and actually in more detail than just gender identity and sex. It’s just the names of the data fields probably aren’t to your liking in the database. The way the specification says it’s recorded is a gender identity code with 6 values, and a gender identity same at birth indicator with 4 values. It seems pretty good, as the way they’ve done it allows them to distinguish people by birth sex when they want, distinguish transgender people, distinguish people where it wasn’t possible to determine a birth sex, and various combinations of people who’ve refused to answer the questions. It will be a good basis for providing better care and identifying issues which are specific to different groups I think. Much better than the previous system which couldn’t distinguish the different groups. The technical spec is on nhs digital.

My GP surgery has changed their online request forms to state Male or Female only, with a 'we understand this directness might upset some people' type message. So there is some light in the NHS.

To add - in particular, how do these toilets fit in with "Culturally appropriate care"?

I’ve also received a survey and similar to OP the questions I have are “ which of the following best describes you? Female, male, non-binary, prefer to self describe (with a free text box), prefer not to say.” And “ Is your gender identity the same as the sex you were registered at birth? Yes, no, prefer not to say”

Which means that they are not capturing the results by sex and will not be able to accurately report / review the results by men and women.

im going to complete the hard copy rather than online so that I can add a comment.

What happens about women who for one reason or another - e.g.religion, trauma - can:t share a loo with male-bodied people?

Do they self-exclude from the hospital's services? What would the consequences of that be?

Has anyone asked the hospital authorities?

No more unisex loos either in my local hospital. They are "all genders welcome" loos.

I think it isn't only the word "woman" being erased. I think "sex" is being thrown out with it.

Without a doubt I'm.much more likely to refer to people including patients as 'they' in their absence these days.

Encouraging organisations to move away from wording of policies based on specific legal obligations is a bloody dangerous path. I wonder what legal qualifications the assessors for the Rainbow Badge have.

When you have appointments with a team of people you’ll find there are several people there with you having a discussion about you and using she / her / they, depending on your preferences.

Funnily enough, I have never been asked for my "preferences" but I have never, in decades of interaction with the NHS, been called "he" or "they", only "she".

I wonder how they knew?

When you have appointments with a team of people you’ll find there are several people there with you having a discussion about you and using she / her / they, depending on your preferences.

The NHS waste so much money on this no sense there's not enough left to pay doctors and nurses fairly. I went for physical therapy. I had to fill in a form stating gender. I crossed it out and put sex. The receptionist said lots of people do the same. They have to go on expensive courses for all of this too wasting more money.

"..and so that you are addressed as you would like to be."

HCP's always address me by my name and as "you".

Unless you mean when they use title and surname, and need to know whether the hulking bloke with s prostate problem needs to be addressed as Miss, Missus ot Mix.

Probably the only thing that would happen, is that they won’t refer to you as you would like, and possibly you would mess up the statistics for some mental health things, as you would be recorded as nonbinary and female sex I think. I can’t see the point of giving the wrong answers; it would mean you won’t get the service you would like.