NHS Policy Audit - working party -Thread #3

Nice reference here to previous article and West London NHS Trust & South East Coast Ambulance Service. Gift article.

"Ministers have refused to publish transgender guidance for civil servants, raising concerns about whether the rules respect women’s rights.

The rules about how transgender civil servants should be treated at work were sent to government departments in May.

But the Cabinet Office refused to share the draft policy with The Telegraph because “ministers and officials may not feel comfortable sharing their views”.

This decision not to publish the guidance has raised concerns that it may not respect women’s rights, with Claire Coutinho, the shadow minister for women and equalities, accusing Labour of “running scared of scrutiny”."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/0f267e165875ce08

Thank you for that @SeaStoat!

Archive link here for when the gift token expires:

https://archive.ph/vIObJ

Maybe someone will leak them.

South East Coast Ambulance Service appears to be the only one of England’s 10 NHS ambulance trusts to publish transgender staff guidance on its website.
The remaining trusts told The Telegraph that any relevant guidance or policies would only be released in response to Freedom of Information requests.

So probably all of them, then.

So how on earth are people who worked with a middle aged bloke called John for ten years, supposed to convince themself that now he calls himself Jane, he should be called she? When they know and he knows that he is still the same bloke as before.

I just wanted to post a link to this new thread about NHS guidance making it clear that NHS must comply with SC judgment. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5589296-nhs-bans-transwomen-from-female-space?reply=155355942

The work you all did on the audit is show8ng results. Thank you.

Thank you @Harassedevictee!

The next step will be to see how the individual trusts respond - I fear there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Fear not though - we (and others!) fully intend to hold them all to account

Archive of Telegraph article:

https://archive.ph/Jw3Y1

Actual guidance is due to drop at 4pm.

Here it is:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/guidance-on-nhs-staff-facilities/

There is also a “long read” on patient accommodation:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/privacy-dignity-and-safety-in-hospital-accommodation/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cry83dyddv6no?at_link_origin=BBC_News&at_medium=social&at_link_id=BD5620C6-C8B2-11F1-A83D-C1026C46A019&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_format=image&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_link_type=web_link&at_campaign_type=owned&fbclid=IwdGRzaAU-LTpjbGNrBT4r5mV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHBkb2YFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEebj4yWe4xGCb5nvxgWO5Yo59cfu_n1bd1omXF4cp_iZK37K2enUxfH_2SnT0_aem_TFAE3IMesYyZ3X1khPjHxQ

NHSE data shows that the number of breaches of the previous mixed-sex accommodation guidance has been growing every year since 2021- where members of the opposite sex were placed on a single-sex ward.

The most recent figure for August 2026 shows there were 5,520 breaches, compared to 3,853 in June 2025.

One small step forward...

More good news, as reported on the tribunal thread, hope @BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn doesn't mind me copying here!

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · Yesterday 23:33
I've now read the new guidance in full, and the dancing shoes are on.

Annex B is history.

No mention of gender variant children. No accommodate according to preference, presentation, and pronouns. No prioritising the trans patient at the expense of others.
Accommodation is by biological sex. For trans identifying patients that remains the default, but single-occupancy rooms can be used as an alternative if needed for the privacy, safety, or dignity of all the patients.

And there's a change to reporting requirements. There used to be a requirement to report breaches; now all departments have to regularly report both breaches and absence of breaches.

I don't mind at all. Thank you for spreading the info.

Putting a trans IDing patient in the opposite sex ward was not counted as a breach. Because wards were separated by gender not sex, so no breach in same gender accomodation happened in those circumstances. So the actual numbers of breaches of same sex accomodation will never be known.