Health Services: Gender

(asked on 27th March 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any reasons why a hospital trust could not guarantee same-sex accommodation and intimate same-sex care.


Answered by
Lord Markham Portrait
Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 25th April 2023

Under the NHS Constitution, National Health Service trusts have a responsibility to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation. It is imperative that NHS trusts respect the privacy and dignity of patients. Patients should not have to share sleeping accommodation with others of the opposite sex and should have access to segregated bathroom and toilet facilities. However, in some cases, operational pressures may lead to unjustified breaches of same-sex accommodation guidance. On the rare occasions that mixing does occur, the breach should be reported, and every effort should be made to remedy the breach immediately. NHS England is currently reviewing its guidance, Delivering same-sex accommodation, and a revised version will be published in due course.

Patients can request same-sex intimate care, and it will be up to the care provider or clinician to respond based on the patient’s needs and staff availability. Due to staff availability, there may be instances when these requests cannot be immediately or easily met. The Department notes the Policy Exchange report Gender identity ideology in the NHS, and is considering whether clearer guidance is needed on the provision of same-sex staffing for patients receiving intimate care, given the importance of ensuring that patients’ privacy and dignity is respected.

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