Health Secretary Steve Barclay has unveiled controversial plans to make significant changes to NHS policies, sparking concerns within the LGBTQ+ community. Barclay is set to share these proposals at a Tory conference in Manchester, with the aim of restoring what he calls “common sense” to the National Health Service.
Under these proposed changes, transgender women could be banned from being treated on female hospital wards. The plan ostensibly claims to protect women’s rights by ensuring cisgender men and women receive care on wards shared exclusively with patients of the same biological sex. This would result in transgender patients being placed in separate wards.
Since 2021, NHS guidance has allowed transgender patients to receive treatment in single-sex wards corresponding to their gender identity. However, Barclay’s plans seek to reintroduce “sex-specific” language when referring to treatments for conditions such as menopause, cervical, and ovarian cancer.
Barclay defended his proposals, stating, “We need a common-sense approach to sex and equality issues in the NHS. It is vital that women’s voices are heard in the NHS, and the privacy, dignity, and safety of all patients are protected.”
This move has faced criticism from LGBTQ+ rights groups, who argue that it undermines the rights and healthcare access of transgender individuals. Sex Matters, a women’s campaign group, has applauded Barclay’s proposal, deeming it a return to “reality-based thinking.”
This development marks the second attempt in recent months by a Health Secretary to restrict trans patients from receiving care in alignment with their gender identity. Health Minister Nick Markham proposed similar guidelines earlier this year, leading to significant backlash from LGBTQ+ rights advocates and concerns about NHS resources.
These proposals come at a challenging time for the NHS, with junior doctors and consultants on strike, resulting in services coming to a “near standstill.” While Barclay presents his ideas at the Tory conference, the British Medical Association will be staging a 24-hour protest outside in response to the ongoing healthcare crisis.