NHS Policy Audit - working party - thread #2

[KnottyAuty]

This is a thread about “keeping the receipts” on NHS Policies prior to the Supreme Court ruling on 16th April 2025.

Our working theory is that there were no single sex spaces for NHS Staff or Patients in the entire country before that date, having all been removed by stealth. We are aiming to prove this by auditing websites and policies for all the UK trusts and using the results to raise public awareness. As well as recording what has happened historically, the information will form a baseline so we can check which Trusts comply or defy the judgement in due course.

We are working around the country region by region. If you fancy getting involved in a bit of grassroots feminism then please do join in to help!? Each trust takes about an hour to research and you can upload online without giving any personal details away. Comment below and we can give you the link to an online survey - it changes for each region.

Thanks soooo much to all the vipers who have helped so far and @ Twoloons for doing a great job with the thread wrangling!

Here are the press articles we’ve managed to generate so far:

Scotland:
25th March: The Telegraph
https://archive.is/dTUhY
26th March: Scottish Daily Express
https://archive.is/kaLCB
26th March: The Telegraph
https://archive.is/iSD9m

London:
21st April: The Telegraph
https://archive.is/awGuz
23rd April: The Telegraph (in conjunction with another thread by NHS mumsnetters)
https://archive.is/1DO8d

Original thread #1 here:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5291237-nhs-policy-audit-working-party?page=1

Birmingham University Hospitals all yours - thank you!

We’ll be moving on to Wales very soon! @KnottyAuty will update on here when we’re ready to go

That sounds awful! Sorry to hear about your DDad. I hope things get better for you soon

I'll give you a follow too @TwoLoonsAndASprout. I won't put my handle on here as I still have my own name. Obviously don't learn. My old account is just sitting there since it got hacked 🙄

@RoseRedorDead you can change both your name and your handle on X without having to have a new account. I started off under my real name 11 years ago now, but changed both my name and my @ when I got involved in this issue. Perhaps worth a try?

@NotAtMyAgeits the principle of it that boils my blood 😂 I don't see why I should hide who I am just because I believe men can't be women! I'm honest in every other part of my life, I hate that I couldn't be on X.

I'm very active on X but hate that I can't do it under my own name at this point.

Still catching up on this thread but on the last one @TwoLoonsAndASprout i have completed University Hospitals Coventry and Warwick.

And a personal thank you to @SeaStoat - I have found most of what I’ve found because of your FOIs. I am in admiration of your ability to organise those!

As an aside re Annex B…I was a junior doc in early- mid 2000s and never heard of it. There were all sorts of shenanigans of patients moving wards sometimes in the middle of the night to try and avoid a SSA breach (it made keeping track of our patients really fun because it was pre digital recording of where patients were and our lives revolved around our patient list and the associated jobs that needed doing). I do remember one case of a young patient who should have been on the gynae ward due to the nature of their problem but externally at least on first glance appeared male so they were in a private room on another ward. The old school gynae ward sister brooked no argument otherwise in case it “upset the ladies.”

Does Royal Orthopaedic still need taking? If so, I can do it (it would be my first one so may not be as quick as it could be)

Underway with University Hospitals Birmingham which is v cagey on its website about how it is eliminating mixed sex accommodation and has no publicly available policies - hat tip to Ermine once again for the FOI.

It covers how to accommodate transgender patients in its Procedure for Supporting Individuals Who are Transgender (Trans). This includes a set of scenarios and prescribed actions in the appendices.

I'm including in the jotform but also sharing an example here of the instructions to lie to patients for wider visibility. Note there is no concern at all for the patient making the complaint who has been told they are in a single sex ward:

"Rachel, a Trans woman, was been admitted to the hospital late last night and sent to a female ward. This morning a patient on that ward has complained about there being a “man” on the ward.
Steps to take – the person in charge of the ward will have an open dialogue with the patient who is complaining to understand the reasons behind their complaint. The person in charge would be required to explain to the complainant that as a Trust we have zero tolerance towards discrimination and that Rachel is female and therefore will be treated as such. Consideration should be given as to whether there is a need to offer support to Rachel as a result of the complaint."

Oh, and also this one. Who can spot the deliberate error here?!

"David transitioned one year ago and has now obtained a gender recognition certificate.
When David transitioned one year ago, he had a new personal file created which carried over any live HR matters, at that time HR was mindful to ensure any current HR letters/casework was amended to refer to David in his preferred gender. His historical letters/casework in David’s personnel file prior to transition was achieved and access restricted to the head of HR and appropriate head of service. However now that David has obtained a gender recognition certificate there is a requirement for the Trust to amend all historical employment records to reflect David’s recognised gender."

😮

That's bloody awful. Just awful.

They're literally denying reality and the validity of someone's perceptions. Orwellian.

FFS 😡where is the uckky ick button?

Wow…Link now taken down. Hope you saved a copy!

In case is of use for whoever is collecting the letters etc from NHS Trusts to staff about the SC judgement, James Esses on X says he has some leaked emails from the Blood and Transplant Trust. Says they are using to signpost colleagues to Mermaids :

x.com/JamesEsses/status/1917104854067032237

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust submitted

Think that was one of the worst I've done. Also the only one I've looked at (I think) that is an out and proud Stonewall Diversity Champion - could there be a link?

Nothing on its website or patient info about single sex accommodation - so at least no bare faced lies but still. I'm getting inured to it all a bit now as they are all so bad it's no longer a shock. But I have a DD that is in all this who may still want to medically transition and seeing the guts of the NHS at close quarters like this makes me despair. She has no chance of receiving any considered treatment from the NHS (and private providers are even worse). It's an Orwellian nightmare for sure.

Thank you for this - and please, please do step back if/when you need to. It is hard reading, especially if you have a child who is in the midst of all this. Sending hugs.

Identity laundering?

It’s the threat though “zero tolerance”
go along with this or you won’t get your treatment.
sinister!

He transitioned a year ago. Need two years for a GRC 🤪

Oh gosh that’s really hard for you reading all this with all that at home. If you’re looking for a way for your DD to learn to manage difficult feelings better (about life generally) I’d recommend teen DBT. My DS is doing a weekly online course and he’s finding it useful. Dm me for the details

Safeguarding nightmare, more like.

Yes, pretty clearly comply with this male person's demand you see him as female when his body is male or there will be CONSEQUENCES.

What about acceptance of everyone's lived experience? Only applies to the trans people apparently, everyone else can go jump.

What about dementia sufferers who have zero change of remembering they're supposed to pretend they can't see biological sex?

Snap!

Morning! I've managed to work through the Jotform and we have a huge lot of information amassed! Thanks so much everyone.

There are some blank spots which we will need to fill up - either they got missed or the trust is super secretive or people got busy etc. The list is here for the trusts which could do with another sweep by an experienced searcher if anyone is up for it?

4 The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
11 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
18 Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust re-do the search it is sparse/lots hidden?
24 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
33 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust re-do the search it is sparse/lots hidden?
35 Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Are these 2 trusts connected?
26 Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust re-read policies all downloaded?
27 Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust re-do the search it is sparse/lots hidden?

I'm out working today so hopefully @TwoLoonsAndASprout will appear in a bit and help organise anyone who has time to volunteer? Thanks so much - this is a really massive region so well done everyone!