Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the provision of female-only health services.

The Department has not made an assessment of the merits of female-only health services. It is for integrated care boards and trusts to commission and deliver services suitable to their local population.

Services within the National Health Service are patient centred, and the NHS Constitution is clear that patients have the right to receive care and treatment that is appropriate to them, meets their needs and reflects their preferences.

Patients are able to request that intimate care is provided by someone of the same sex. This is recognised through accompanying Care Quality Commission statutory guidance to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. In line with this guidance, we expect that providers will make every reasonable effort to respect patient preferences.

The Government remains committed to prioritising women’s health as we build an NHS fit for the future.