NHS England Head Of Public Participation tells survivors to stay in their lane.

[Jeanhatchet]

A day or so ago I had tweeted at another user that women's single sex services should ensure that the EQ Act 2010 is correctly applied to protect women.

Last night the Head Of Public Participation And Engagement - Olivia Butterworth @LiviBut replied to me in a tweet that

"It has never been an issue or a problem. Unless you have direct personal experience stop jumping on the bandwagon".

When I pointed out I AM a survivor she blocked me. This is really unacceptable. Trolls are one thing. Vicious trans activists are one thing. But a Public Health Official using her account to silence women who have experienced domestic and sexual violence is quite another.

[SunsetBeetch]

Jesus Christ that's disgusting. She's not fit for the job.

[merrymouse]

That is a terrible reply.

Her response doesn't stand up to any scrutiny.

Even if data does show that trans people are more likely to be attacked (and I don't think there is much data on this in the UK), if anyone can now identify as trans, past data is irrelevant.

[merrymouse]

Asides the utterly reprehensible treatment of a survivor, we know that they know that there are indeed problems with allowing males to access spaces that female service users rightly expect to be female only.

Agree, and "oh well women get attacked by men anyway, you'll just have to deal with it" is not a response that should be given by anyone who works in public health.

[wellbehavedwomen]

Oh that's hideous, Jean. I am so very sorry you were treated that way.

She's appalling. Nakedly politicised and telling verifiable untruths.

The video on there declaring that the government want to, "change the law" (ensure existing law is respected) and plan to inspect people's genitals to ensure single sex toilet provision... how can they tell such dreadful, obvious lies? If they have a real case, why don't they make it instead of this insanity? Such a bizarre and disturbing fantasy to come up with, far less share, and insist is the truth!

[TyroSaysMeow]

UK murder stats show that the second tweet is an outright lie.

I've been raped by a male who later went on to claim womanhood; his inclusion in single-sex female-only services remains a problem whether or not I feel I can safely verbalise this to those in charge of maintaining such services.

Also, as a csa- and rape-survivor, can I just say thank you to all you lovely women who haven't been raped or assaulted and yet still fight for my rights. Much appreciated.

[POKERFAZE]

I do notice powerful women have a knack of putting others down in a rather blunt manner and it is disheartening when no explanation is provided. So no surprise an NHS professional is using her skills.

However can someone explain how safe spaces are going to be policed if women only spaces are violated by men? Surely when you enter these spaces most of the time people are too busy getting on with their lives to notice if someone does not quite look the part. Even in the 70s young women would congregate in the men's(in London night clubs) if the ladies' were full of people touching up their lippy. .............in advance, just hoping no one is offended by this text and I can catch up with the debate.

[merrymouse]

However can someone explain how safe spaces are going to be policed if women only spaces are violated by men? Surely when you enter these spaces most of the time people are too busy getting on with their lives to notice if someone does not quite look the part.

There is a limit to how much toilets can be policed. The focus on toilets generally comes from the America where 'bathroom bills' have been proposed.

However, most single sex services and spaces are provided in places where identity is and can be checked e.g. hospitals and prisons.

[merrymouse]

The thing to remember is that in general sex/age/religious discrimination is not legal. However, the EA 2010 recognises that sometimes particular groups need additional protections and services, and that this requires discrimination. Therefore it is legal to prevent the sale of cigarettes to under 16s, and it is legal to provide single sex services when this is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Stonewall has campaigned to remove the exemptions that allow any single sex services, and to change the wording in the EA so that effectively the protected characteristic of sex is removed.

[Seasiderabbit]

They may take on your complaint soon.

I know that the Health and Parliamentary Ombudsman are taking on new complaints from Wednesday 1st July following a break during the pandemic, so others may follow suit.

[Thelnebriati]

I'm appalled she is ignoring the Karen White case, as White repeatedly raped a woman while on a women only psychiatric ward.

''The woman, in her 20s, told police White had violently raped her five or six times between January and December 2016, while they were in a relationship after meeting at a psychiatric unit in West Yorkshire.''
<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200519160922/www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/transgender-rapist-karen-white-jailed-15270192" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20200519160922/www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/transgender-rapist-karen-white-jailed-15270192

White repeatedly raped and subjected the woman to violent, controlling behaviour; in her victim impact statement she also said she had tried to take her own life and was worried she cannot have children due to internal damage from being violently raped by White.
All of this abuse happened on a locked ward without staff noticing.

[ChattyLion]

Civil servants who become aware that other civil servants who are not adhering to the Civil Service Code, can complain to the Civil service commission:

civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code/civilservicecodecomplaints/

The civil service code is here, it’s part of the T&Cs for every civil servant:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code

[StealthPolarBear]

As a member of NHS e/I I don't think she's a civil servant

[ChattyLion]

Good point Stealth I forgot that- civil service doesn’t include the NHS bodies.

Ok so here’s the NHS England standard of business conduct:

P23 has some possibly relevant requirements on staff

www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/standard-of-business-conduct-v2.3.pdf

[Ereshkigalangcleg]

I would have thought NHSE has a social media policy.

[lionheart]

Whatsnewpussyhat--I think they get the stats about trans people as victims of sexual violence from this 2014 publication.

www.ovc.gov/pubs/forge/sexual_numbers.html


More US based stats from the 2015 US Trans Survey.

www.ovc.gov/pubs/forge/sexual_numbers.html

These are the sources I see cited on social media whenever there is a dispute about which groups are more likely to be subject to sexual violence.

The stats in both cases don't seem to bear much scrutiny (trans is a broad definition; there is no break down of the kind of sexual violence, or information about the perpetrator). Just the basic headline which gets repeated all over.

[lionheart]

www.thestranger.com/slog/2019/09/23/41471629/is-the-life-expectancy-of-trans-women-in-the-us-just-35-no#

[TheSingingKettle49]

So her stance is that as long as women aren’t being physically attacked then they don’t deserve privacy and dignity? Classy.

[MoltenLasagne]

No issues? Tell that to Philippa Molloy who was locked in a psychiatric ward with a TW despite being terrified of men and then had her complaint letter used as an example of bigotry.

[Sexnotgender]

Any relation to Benjamin Butterworth?

[StealthPolarBear]

Did you ever report this op?

[SisterCellophane]

Olivia's job description states the following:

"Olivia Butterworth is Head of Public Participation for NHS England and NHS Improvement.

She ensures the NHS works with citizens and communities to have a voice that influences the development, design and delivery of our health and care services."

• only if you're already speaking with her voice though, apparently...

It also states:
"Olivia is the national lead for the People and Communities workstream of the Primary Care Networks programme and was named in the HSJs Top 50 Innovators and the Top 50 Integrators in 2014. In 2018 she was named as one of the Top 70 NHS Stars.

She has a background in Community Development and education with a passion for empowering people to be their own change."

See, as a pleb in the lower ranks of the civil servicr, we've all been warned to keep our mouths shut on social media about anything contentious. We literally get emails round about it every time there's an election coming up. And I spoke with this sort of disrespect to a service user, my job would be in jeopardy. Yet she's an "NHS star". And her literal job is supposed to be to solicit public opinion on NHS policy!

[Thelnebriati]

Olivia Butterworth is a trustee of the LGBT Foundation, alongside Edward Lord;

www.lgbt.foundation/trustees

[Jeanhatchet]

I did report it and got back the following. I have returned to them and said it isn't acceptable.

[Kit19]

it doesnt matter that its her personal account! she has her job title and organisation on it therefore people will take it that her views represent her views as the head of public paricipation for NHS england. if she doesnt want people to think that, take off the job title

[ValancyRedfern]

This is awful