The Times: hospital apologises for smear test given by transwoman

[Lamaha]

This time, the nurse didn't sue the patient for misgendering them.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-female-nhs-nurse-i-asked-for-came-with-stubble-83rq9p0gg?fbclid=IwAR0yNBECZsyROLmO2TFv1qV4qSf2OKv439JMYh0qxcR6JcwXXRcFWIf21Iw
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust said: “We apologised to this patient for the recording error and because the staff member accepted they didn’t manage the situation appropriately; the patient needed to feel listened to. Trust policy is to consider seriously all requests for clinicians of a particular gender.”

This weekend, the woman, who decided not to go ahead with the examination, said it was “weird where somebody says to you: ‘My gender is not male’ and you think: ‘Well, what does that even mean? You are clearly a man.’ ”

We need clear language to communicate what we want and need, especially in medical situations.

If a women or female hcp is requested, both parties need to understand exactly what that means.

Well, the request was clearly for a particular sex, not gender. Their confusion on this is what led to this situation in the first place.
Imagine asking for a female and being confronted with an obvious male rabbiting on about his gender choice?!

People request a clinician of a particular sex, not gender. Shouldn’t medical staff understand the difference?

zutt and Thegrey absolutely. Just crazy...

The Times shining the light again

Absolutely terrible. The lack of regard for women's comfort is horrible but unfortunately not surprising.

This is an old article, from 2017.

Does anyone have a share token?

I think this was front page ages ago. I’ll see if I can do a share token

Does this work?

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-female-nhs-nurse-i-asked-for-came-with-stubble-83rq9p0gg?shareToken=597e21aabaab4aaaacb15db51ee02df6

It works. Thank you Repeal

December 2017

This never happens.

I thought this story seemed familiar.

I think this was front page ages ago.

Yes. Several threads on this one. It was a couple of years ago.

Oops. Sorry. Took too long to post!

It was a very clear illustration of the conflict of rights with Safeguarding, Duty of Care & good practice.

Sorry -- it came up on my Facebook thread today and I didn't check the date.
But I still think it's relevant. I think today, the nurse would have thrown a tantrum and insisted it is their right to give the test, and the patient would have had to apologise, or possibly face a misgendering lawsuit, and the hospital would have been apologising to the nurse, as happened recently when somebody said eugh it's a man or something in a hospital.
How times change...

In the NHS we still have the right to decline treatment from any individual. Don't have to give a reason. We absolutely must keep that.

There is more needed than this.
Male HCPs should not carry out inimate examinations or seek to carry out intimate examinations without a female chaperone.
The male HCP's gender identity is irrelevent to the basis for what was & should be standard practice
The power dynamics & context are such that female patients should not be left in a position where they have to decline or agree to treatment.

The responsibility for this is with male HCPs, NHS & professional bodies.

I am just saddened by a healthcare professional trying gender as if it was science/biology. They may have just announced that they were a Mormon for all that matters.

I think it’s hugely unprofessional and selfish for any health worker to put their own wish for “validation” of an ideology, based on harmful gender stereotypes, ahead of the need of their patient to be treated by a female practitioner.
I was a hospital doctor for 36 years, and we always rearranged staff if a patient requested an all female team - for example a strict Muslim woman or a rape victim, who needed a theatre procedure. It is totally inappropriate and insensitive to allow a man, however he “identifies” to treat a patient in such circumstances.

But how can someone with training in human biology argue that a male born person can slap on a female nurses uniform and hey presto, their DNA just magically changes.

Wow. This could be a new cure of cancer, eh? Wear a yellow scarf and be cured!

I’ve had 2 intimate examinations by males HCPs (with a chaperone) and it didn’t phase me too much at the time. However any request I or any other woman may choose to make regarding the sex of a HCP should be respected, without exception or reason.

You didn’t have an issue and you had a chaperone. That’s great but if you don’t want a male and can’t ask for a chaperone (because you’d be attacked for asking for one when you give your reason) you are stuffed aren’t you?