What my NHS Trust have said about the Supreme Court verdict

[Opinionpolecat]

The NHS Trust I work at sent an e-mail to all staff yesterday talking about the Supreme Court ruling. They stated that the judges have said that “woman” in UK law is based on biological sex. They go on to say that they want to be clear the ruling does not change the fact that everyone is welcome in the Trust and that they are an inclusive organisation. They say everyone deserves respect and understanding including staff, patients and families. They understand that some staff members may feel they need support at this time and recommend the LGBT+ staff network where LGBT+ staff and allies can find support and advice.

It struck me that they think only LGBT+ plus staff and allies will need support and advice, and the reassurance that the trust is such an inclusive organisation. They say nothing about the fact their policies have discriminated against female staff and patients for many years. They don't even admit to it but say this wasn't their fault, it was due to NHS wide guidance and they offer no apology to female staff, patients and their allies about these years of discrimination. They say nothing about the fact that for many years some female staff and patients may not have felt welcome or included within the Trust. Have any other NHS staff had similar messages?

No ,not threatening to sexually harassed them
It was like
Your husband's are not going to be able to control themselves with us using their bathroom now ..how do you like that .
There was a threatening element to the way it was wondered ,

I wonder who decided to use the wordings people who mensfruate, chest feeders etc? It must have come from some directive higher up if all NHS Trusts do it.

Rainbowpug

Thanks!

So it's hoping women feel threatened. Oh, no, lock up your husbands, dearies!😆

They think they're so irresistibly hot - remember they woman better than us, Andrea Long Chu style 🤢

Had exactly the same message from my nhs trust. Joint statement from the trust “women’s group” and the lgbtqryga+ group. Can’t believe something which purports to be a women’s group has been so captured. Sad times.

all about wanting trans colleagues to feel safe, nothing about safety of women!

This is the response by Lloyds Bank:

“Thought I would come on here today with a note of support for our trans and non-binary colleagues on what I know will be an unsettling day following the UK Supreme Court decision,” he wrote on Lloyds’s Rainbow network, the bank’s internal group for LGBTQ+ people, according to messages reviewed by The Telegraph.
“Please know that we cherish and celebrate you and we remain committed to inclusivity. If you’re a line manager, please be mindful of the potential impact on members of your team and be available to them. We are here to listen and support.”
Sharon Doherty, the chief people and places officer at Lloyds, said in response to Mr Walton’s post: “Very well said ... Standing in solidarity at this very tough time.”

https://archive.ph/6FFKJ

TBH I really don't think that the Fife or Darlington NHS trusts have a leg to stand on after this ruling.
After being told that women mean “biological” they have been proved to have acted unlawfully and favoured men over their women staff.

I hope these nurses are feeling vindicated after this judgement.

I don't claim to know much about this issue,but I'm glad of the ruling
I heard about a man running a rape crisis centre,and men being allowed in with women who had been raped ..was it Scotland..
I hope this will change ..will they remove the he man from running it now

This is interesting (though unsurprising). I’m going to share over on the NHS audit thread, if that’s ok - we’re trying to keep track of responses to the ruling.

No-one offered us support when our rights were being impinged upon 😡

They found he'd behaved disgracefully, but still didn't have the backbone to remove him, but eventually he decided it was impossible for him to remain in post:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2edeyzz0xmo

We had a similar letter in my trust but the CEO didn’t mention seeking support from
the LGBT+ network and encouraged to approach the EDI team
it said it was reviewing policies/ procedures

Thanks for the link x

But it wouldn't be odd to offer support to women who have had it confirmed they don't need to share single sex spaces with men, and apologise for having made them do so.

That’s an interesting interpretation of what the ruling said. It was my understanding that the judges specifically pointed out that the ruling was not a win of one group over another, but a clarification of what the law has always actually meant.

Do you have a different understanding?

I'm off work, so I don't know if this what my Trust is saying, but I'm so annoyed that the issues are being kept together in this message. Womens rights are being clarified. Nothing to do with other people's rights.

I feel this is wishful thinking on his part.

Is this real language used in nhs. Chest feeder? Sounds like something out of a fish tank!

Some coverage

NHS warned it must change guidance on single-sex spaces after court ruling
Equality watchdog says health service ‘now has clarity’ as managers draw up new policy for hospitals and surgeries

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/17/nhs-guidance-single-sex-spaces-hospitals-supreme-court-ruling

The outcome of the ruling is a win for TERFs who won't have to be in the same spaces as trans women anymore who they seemingly think are all desperate to have sex with them

Well they could start with an unequivocal apology to all the women who have been disciplined/sacked/called names for simply speaking the truth -TW are Not Women.
There is already talk of actions against organisations who have discriminated against women.

No, they don't need apologies for being too closed minded to be in the same spaces as trans women, most of which are nice people if you'd actually take the time to get to know some instead of just letting the Daily Mail tell you what to think (as someone with trans friends)

You are truly comedy gold! 😂Keep it coming!

Indeed, most males are nice people.
We just don't want them around us when we're getting changed. Hope that's ok with you?