NHS warned: Change gender policies on single-sex wards, or else

Politics
17 Apr 2025 • 10:52 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned the NHS must revise its policies regarding transgender patients' access to single-sex wards following a Supreme Court ruling.
  • The ruling clarifies that "woman" in the Equality Act refers to biological sex, potentially allowing the exclusion of transgender women from single-sex spaces.
  • Current NHS guidance accommodates transgender patients based on their gender presentation, but the EHRC is insisting this must change to reflect the new legal interpretation.
  • The EHRC says it is “working at pace” to provide an updated code of conduct for services, including the NHS and prisons.
  • It has confirmed it will pursue legal action if the NHS fails to update its guidance.

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