NHS issues new guidance on transgender patient care in hospitals

The National Health Service (NHS) in England has published new guidance for hospitals on how to care for transgender and non-binary patients, addressing some of the most contested areas of healthcare policy in Britain in recent years.

Guidance content

The guidance covers ward placement, specifying that patients should generally be accommodated based on their legal sex for single-sex wards, while also requiring staff to treat patients with dignity and respect their gender identity in day-to-day care. The guidance attempts to balance the interests of transgender patients with those of other patients sharing the same facilities.

Reaction

The guidance has drawn mixed reactions, with some transgender advocacy groups expressing concerns and others welcoming the clarification it provides to NHS staff. The guidance follows a period of significant public debate about transgender healthcare policy in the UK.