I don't work for the NHS but this colleague does. I wrote a report about several clients we have been working with over many months. We have also been working with their carers/family. Colleague suggested that we haven't asked them how they identify so can't refer to them as he or she. So in the report we should just continually use their names. In our interaction with these clients there has never been any ambiguity, and carers/family have referred to them as he/she. I think this is utterly ridicolous. Other option is to make contact to ask their gender. Many have significant learning disabilities so this would not be straight forward.
Despite being gender critical I would have no problem with using preferred pronouns in the report if it was obvious to this was the client's preference but this is just daft. I respect this person but feel that this is such a waste of valuable time and energy. This stuff seems to encroach on my work more and more.