NHS ward policy change.

Yes, but if Annex B (transgender trumps “same sex” what then?

Honestly as an NHS nurse I can't see how this would work in practice. My trust doesn't have enough beds as it is so, we open 'escalation' areas which are essentially repurposed parts of theatre recovery. Guess what? They are completely mixed, picture a nightingale style long ward, then each bed has either sex, any age
As nurses, we have complained as we are very against this. We are told it's exceptional circumstances only this has been in place since July last year.
On my ward the rooms are always full of infectious patients or patients who need protection due to their medical condition.

Here is a bit of the interview.

x.com/GMB/status/1785212404416000254

Apologies I had to deal with something so only had half an ear to listen to him.

They read out a list of things he’d said previously “TWAW” “It is wrong to say only women have a cervix” his face was a picture!
He was initially very evasive, bringing in the “toxic” debate and I even heard him reference Brianna Ghey to illustrate how toxic the debate had become. He was pushed on what his actual beliefs are and he said he believed that “safe” spaces and NHS wards should be based on biological SEX!!!

He was also asked if he should apologies to Rosie. He didn’t answer that one directly.

It really is worth a watch.

Or the ones with infectious diseases... there is generally not enough room to house these and patients often have to die behind curtains on the ward as a result.

I agree with pp that sex marker clarity is of utmost importance. I note that the new RCGP trans policy also calls for this. I really do have hope that it is just a matter of time.

It may not be the case, but I thought one of the reasons for single rooms was for when someone is close to death, giving the dying person and visitors privacy. If those rooms are given to trans patients, where do the dying patients go?

Im reading it as single sex wards are single sex, but only when practically possible, and trans people can be placed in single rooms if possible.

So if a space is available on a male ward or single room, the man with gender will be move there.

But im sure different hospitals will read it as whatever they want it to say.

It is written into the NHS constitution that people have the right to expect to be treated on a single sex ward, and receive intimate care from someone the same sex as them. Annex B, allowing trans people (but not the rest of us) the right to choose according to their feelz, was added later.

Its relatively easy to have sex markers changed on NHS records, even without a GRC. Its possible that wards may not know the patients sex until they see them in some situations.

Ensuring that sex is sex on nhs records may avoid relying on women having to speaking up.

From the BBC website

“For example, same-sex accommodation rights, which have existed for years, can and are breached where there is a clinically urgent need to admit and treat a patient and do not extend to areas such as critical care or accident and emergency.”

Do same sex accomodation rights really exist where there is also Annex B in the small print? And what will happen about Annex B now?

However, in practice the policy is operated on the basis of gender self-identification, based on an annex to the policy, 'Annex B', which tells hospitals that they must allow people to chose to be in opposite-sex wards if they identify as transgender or non- binary.2 Sept 2021
sex-matters.org › Re...PDF
Reviewing Annex B | Sex Matters

What is the NHS Annex B gender?
Annex B of the guidance compromises sex-based rights because it specifies that it is self-identified gender – not sex – that determines where transgender adults and 'gender variant' children should be accommodated.2 Jan 2023
policyexchange.org.uk › gen...
Gender identity ideology in the NHS - Policy Exchange

I presume the ‘allowed to ask for same biological sex care’ deals with the couple of publicised legal cases recently where women have been denied care at all for checking it would be same sex.

Please tell us what Keir says….

What I am unclear about is if a single room isn’t available, then would a transwoman be put in a male or female ward?

The Telegraph article suggested that transmen would go on female wards.

R4 something about asking for same sex care, but missed what it was exactly

Keir Starmer is on ITV in a few minutes, talking about this, amongst other things.

Its a bit late for that woman who was sexually assaulted and then lied to by the hospital to the degree she thought she had imagined it, because 'there was no man on the ward'

In practice when you hardly dare press the bell for a glass of water you are unlikely to ask for a transgender patient to be moved.

Not Stonewall or Trust's doing, we ve a Govt & a Health Secretary, they are responsible.

No one else.

They either don't care or have been asleep at the wheel.

This is why I'm pissed off when people claim the GRA and EqA are clear in that sex doesnt change and single sex provision is legal.

If the NHS has to make an announcement that womens wards are going to be women only, and that women who request single sex care will not be ridiculed something has gone wrong.

Im happy that the situation is acknowledged now, and solutions found. But i suspected the number of single sex wards may fall.

We're in this dystopian mess as Stonewall etc have been allowed to lie about what the law says, and introduce policy that insists TWAW etc. So the change needs to start with policy in order to filter down to practice.

Remember there are NHS staff in certain trusts who have written policy to ensure that male sex offenders who claim to be women can be in women's wards. That's how dangerous some of these people are.

Hot air.

Patients can already request a same sex ward, the change is it now includes biological sex but how many single person rooms are there?

also, ime patients in these rooms get forgotten.

Doctors can override at any time based on clinical need.

There isn't the facilities, staff or equipment within the NHS.

My MiL was in a MH unit, same sex BUT due to lack of staff, she was sexually abused by a male patient who climbed into bed with her, the units suggestion to stop this happening again was that she is discharged FFS!!!

They didn't have the staff overnight to prevent.

Its GE year, so expect announcements like these that have zero back up, much like the Govt's Dental Plan, private dentists aren't interested, the govt knew this of course.

I heard this on Radio 4 news this morning.

I was confused because it was made to seem that same sex wards are already allowed, yet as far as I was aware, “annex b” means that transwomen can be in the ward of their choice, no one else on the ward has the right to know if another person on the ward is trans, not even the police ( e.g. in the case of a women who was raped and the police were told there had been no man there).

Can anyone tell me if I am wrong?

It's a start.

Good headlines, too. 'NHS Constitution based on sex, not gender.'

That is bad, I am sorry about that, things have changed in many places (well, in London anyway, I have limited experience of general wards elsewhere).