NHS Policy Audit - working party -Thread #3

[KnottyAuty]

NHS Policy Audit - working party -Thread #3

Original thread #1 here:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5291237-nhs-policy-audit-working-party?page=1
Thread #2:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5322494-nhs-policy-audit-working-party-thread-2

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!

Submitted Western Health and Social Care Trust

Observations:
Single sex accommodation policy is dated 2011 and currently being updated to incorporate transgender people according to FOI response (no ref to SC made), so conveniently unavailable. An earlier FOI response stated the revised guidance was expected in May 2022 so that has been quite some review and approval process ... just saying.

Staff policy seems unyielding on toilets but a bit more understanding that different groups may have different needs when it comes to changing / sleeping:

"Single sex toilet facilities - A common issue raised by staff is the use of the toilet facilities. While every effort should be made to deal with concerns amongst staff it should be made clear that once (insert name) begins the process of changing gender identity they will use the appropriate facilities of their new gender."

"Showers/ Changing facilities/Sleeping accommodation/Lockers, etc - (Shared use of these facilities to be agreed in discussion with (insert name) and colleagues to ensure that everyone is comfortable with the arrangements and the dignity of all is taken into consideration.)"

“The move to convert traditional male and female facilities to unisex facilities in some hospitals raises concern that people might be exposed to higher risks of contamination.”

https://salus.global/article-show/pathogen-findings-raise-concerns-about-move-to-unisex-hospital-facilities

Just a quick update on Wales and Northern Ireland. As you can see we are on the final stretch of this marathon audit so well done to all of us Vipers!!

NHS Wales

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board - Mipe
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board - Mipe
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board - FarriersGirl
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board - Yellowroom
Hywel Dda University Health Board - cantunseeit
Powys Teaching Health Board - NCembarrassed
Swansea Bay University Health Board - Mipe
Velindre University NHS Trust - Mipe
Welsh Ambulances Services NHS Trust - Withsilverbells

Northern Ireland

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust - teawamutu
Northern Health and Social Care Trust - yellowroom
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust - cantunseeit
Southern Health and Social Care Trust - Blackmetallic
Western Health and Social Care Trust - cantunseeit
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust - Mipe

Hi @FarriersGirl, I have just submitted Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust (couldn't find anything though). It looks like we are nearly done but if there is anything else that needs doing I would be happy to help 😀

Oops! I’d missed that I was down for South Eastern. I’ll get it done tomorrow

Brilliant work! Thanks to everyone for their hard work xx

Belfast is done, @FarriersGirl

Can't decide if it's strategic incompetence or just the regular variety, but they have no documents on their site, haven't responded to Ermine and although they did supply policies via another foi, it was a scan of the doc so not searchable.

Sucks for them that OCR technology is a thing.

Arguing for the 'strategic' side is that the policies are as bad as I've seen; patients objecting to an opposite sex staff member after requesting single sex care will be offered a chaperone. No impact assessments even carried out because it's all so lovely and positive.

Wankers.

Just in case anyone is regarding the empty time stretching out after this... Would there be any benefit to considering an education version...?

There is a mum (wife/partner of the dad who is challenging his children’s school’s mixed sex changing room policy) who suggested this. I think it would need a different thread and maybe a different strategy (just because of the sheer numbers of schools) but it is def worth considering.

Let me see if I can find her post(s).

@teawamutu, this is the post I was thinking of:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5374160-statutory-guidance-on-rse-and-health-education-now-out-from-dfe?reply=145726638&utm_campaign=reply&utm_medium=share

I agree with TwoLoons that education would need a different strategy. Not my field, but it seems that the new guidance is out for implementation in 2026 so things should be changing anyway. With the NHS we were aiming to show what a mess DEI policies have caused in the hope of getting top down guidance issued.

All done, and submitted now :-)

Southern Health and Social Care Trust submitted

The Southern Health EqIA for the staff transgender policy was long but very poor. It solemnly and lengthily reviewed every protected characteristic as related to the transgender/nonbinary person. So, transgender person with a disability, transgender person with dependents, transgender people of different ages or ethnicities etc...And came to the conclusion that everything was a positive intervention for transgender people and therefore absolutely fine.

Not the first one of those I’ve come across. I genuinely do not understand how these people’s brains work. It is painful.

So many like that! What do they think the EqIA is for?!

As I said on that thread, I think this is more of a grassroots action as there are so many schools. I think what we’d want is to ask parents to ask for copies of the policies at their schools, which I think the draft guidance now allows them to do.

The central bit would need to be twofold - firstly a map of all schools with a colour code for those for which we have policies, so people can check if their school has one and can ask for it if not. Secondly, some way to help people check if the policies are in line with the Supreme Court ruling. Maybe we could have a way to upload the policies to the map, so knowledgeable people (another team like this one) could take some each and check them?

We really need an education policy expert to input in to this, I’m sure there’s some things I haven’t thought of and things that might stop the plan working.

Calling all Vipers - we are done! Finished! The audit of UK trusts is COMPLETE!!

Congratulations to you all it’s been a Herculean effort. I have really admired your dedication to get this done.

You all deserve a 🍷☕️ depending on your preference and a Tunnocks Tea Cake.

Yes, I say well done too. I wasn't able to help but have been following closely.

This NHS survey came about as a result of the Sandie Peggie ET.

Does anyone know if there have been similar cases regarding school teachers?
There was one who won her case about her Christian beliefs but I don't think trans came into that.

I’ve been out all day this is so fabulous!! Thanks so much to everyone who helped. Whether it was one trust, or ten, you’ve all made a difference xoxo

And by complete coincidence I met Ermine and Maya F today. We were talking about all you fabulous auditors and they both said thank you!! And they are so impressed!! I think Maya said other lovely things too but I’m a bit too tired to remember sorry!

Anyway well done everyone you are wonderful - big kisses

Dayumm, that is a formidable gathering! Oh to have been a viper in the corner...

In celebration, I went back to the start of thread one and found the first substantive finding, from (fittingly given recent co-ordination heroics) @FarriersGirl :

I have just done a very quick trawl of my local NHS trust EDI policy. The main policy does not look too bad however beneath it lies a separate policy for trangender and non binary staff. This includes gems such as a specific personal transitioning plan for any member of staff who goes to their manager saying this is what they want. And beneath this special policy is a very lengthy set of guidance giving permissions to access single sex spaces etc. Most worryingly it seems to indicate that patients would not be informed of clinicians actual sex if they asked and their refusal to be treated could be deemed abuse of staff. EQuIA template also worse than useless as it conflates sex with gender.
There is general EDI guidance beneath the main policy but the trans one looks to be the only protected characteristic given its own special policy and guidelines. Feeling slightly queasy as this is where I would be treated 😨

Anyone else feeling quite nostalgic for a time when this was a nasty surprise, rather than Standard Operating fecking Procedure?

That's fantastic! Well done everyone.

Many thanks and many congratulations to all your efforts.