Health Secretary Steve Barclay has ordered an urgent review of guidelines for NHS doctors that urge them not to assume their patients’ gender. He is said to have “hit the roof” when shown the 16-page document which advises medical staff to not use pronouns such as Mr and Mrs until they are confirmed by patients. The guidelines are said to have cost around £165,000 to produce.
Instead the report suggests they should use a combination of the gender-neutral term “partner”, the gender-neutral pronouns “they” and “them”, and names when talking about patients or their significant others.
It says this is an easy way to avoid initial assumptions. And it advises health workers to consider that their gender identity may have changed since a previous appointment.
In one section titled Gender Identity, the guidelines state: “Asking someone who was assigned female at birth ‘Are you Ms, Miss or Mrs?’ carries with it an assumption that their gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth i.e. cisgender.”
Mr Barclay was said to have been enraged after seeing the recommendations, which were written by NHS England’s national advisor for LGBT health Dr Michael Brady.
Dr Brady, who works at Kings College Hospital in London, also works with the Government Equalities Office.
LBC reports that a source close to Mr Barclay said: “Taxpayers’ money needs to be invested in fixing the NHS so it can provide better care for patients, not squandered on woke pamphlets.”
The guide also states: “Use neutral language, until sure.
“When talking to patients, there are some aspects of language that can make people who identify as LGBT+ feel included or excluded.
“Choosing words and phrases that don’t make assumptions about sexual orientation or gender identity creates a more supportive environment for individuals to be themselves.”
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An NHS spokesman said: “While this is a Government and NIHR report, the NHS is committed to improving access, experience and outcomes for LGBT+ communities and this guide seeks to support healthcare professionals with doing that.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “This guide has not been endorsed by the Government.”
Daily Mail reports that the Department of Health-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research spent £164,964 of taxpayers’ cash on the study looking at how clinicians could improve “inclusive communication” with LGBT patients.
