Our statement on NHS England’s ‘single sex’ hospital ward guidance

NHS England’s new guidance on hospital accommodation is unworkable, unsafe and puts trans+ people in the UK at risk.

It starts from the position that trans+ patients belong on wards that do not reflect who they are, then leaves individual staff to decide, case by case, when an exception is “safe and fair”. That means inconsistent care, more distress, higher clinical risk, and trans+ people being outed when they are at their most vulnerable.

Many trans+ people already put off seeking care because they fear discrimination. Over half of trans+ people said they already experienced transphobia and/or poor care in a medical setting, according to TransActual’s Trans Lives 2025: Healthcare Report. This will make that worse.

Once again, politics is being placed above patient care. To trans+ people reading this: we know this is frightening news, and we send you our love. You are entitled to the same standard of NHS care as anyone else. Talk to your doctor or nurse about any worries before an admission, including where you will be placed, and please do not delay getting the care you need.

This guidance also undermines the dignity and belonging of trans and non-binary NHS staff who deserve respect in the very service they help deliver. To NHS staff doing their best to be inclusive in a hostile system: thank you. This guidance puts you in an impossible position, and we see you.

We urge trusts and ICBs to use the room this guidance gives them and put clinical need and patient safety first.