Privacy, dignity and safety for all patients and staff
Patient safety is our top priority but alongside it stands maintaining privacy and dignity for all who stay and work in our hospitals.
Our responsibility is not only to provide compassionate and inclusive care but also to ensure that all members of staff can access facilities that uphold the same principles.
In common with other NHS organisations we are reviewing our policies to ensure we comply with the various laws that govern the provision of single-sex accommodation.
This follows the Supreme Court ruling last year, the code of practice issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and most recently NHS England guidance.
Rachael Corser, group chief nurse, said: “We know that some individuals and communities are anxious about how the guidance would impact them if they need to be admitted to our hospitals. Our trans and gender diverse colleagues are also concerned about what this means for them at work.
“We recognise that different people have different needs and are committed to meeting these in ways that are safe, lawful and respectful to all. We are working with staff networks and sector experts to get our policies right.
“We want to assure everyone, whatever their identity, that their clinical care will never be compromised. Our doors remain open and you will be met with the care, compassion and respect you deserve.”
Eliminating mixed-sex wards has long been one of the principles of the NHS Constitution. The NHS says that to maintain hospital wards as single sex under the Equality Act 2010, trans people and others with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment should be accommodated in line with their sex at birth.
At the same time, we must also ensure that clinical needs are met, and privacy, dignity and safety is maintained for all - including other patients sharing that accommodation. This may require making alternative arrangements. The NHS guidance acknowledges that clinical need must always be the priority.
The practical challenge all hospitals face is ensuring they have sufficient single rooms, lockable toilets and accessible shower or changing facilities. So alongside reviewing our policies we are undertaking an estates audit to identify gender neutral toilets and changing rooms in existence and signpost them where needed.
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