British Health Secretary Steve Barclay has announced a slew of proposed changes to the country’s National Health Service (NHS) system, including that transgender women are to be banned from being treated in female hospital wards, and the return to sex-specific language when dealing with women’s health.
Barclay has denounced what he calls “wokery” in the NHS, saying that “ideological dogma” is stopping women from being listened to when it comes to their health, and led led to their rights being increasingly sidelined.
Sky News reports that the government will consult on making changes to the NHS constitution, which will also include the right to request same-sex intimate care requests.
“We need a common-sense approach to sex and equality issues in the NHS,” Barclay said, “which is why I am announcing proposals for clearer rights for patients.
“And I can confirm that sex-specific language has now been fully restored to online health advice pages about cervical and ovarian cancer and the menopause.
“It is vital that women’s voices are heard in the NHS and the privacy, dignity and safety of all patients are protected.”
However, a spokesperson for the LGBT charity Stonewall called the announcements “a cynical attempt … to ‘look busy’ instead of getting on with the graft of implementing the women’s health strategy”.
“Besides being unworkable, all it will achieve is to restrict access to healthcare for trans women, making it humiliating and dangerous.”
Barclay also announced an expansion of NHS training and funding of new technology in the health service.
Sky News article – Health secretary plans to bring back 'sex-specific language' to NHS
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
New NHS guidelines: Transgender patients may choose male or female wards
NHS removes words ‘woman’ and ‘women’ from menopause page
UK midwives angered by trans terminology replacing anatomical terms
NHS staff must quiz all patients on sexual orientation