Health
NHS England says hospital single-sex spaces must follow biological sex
October 15, 2026 at 05:58 PM
NHS England has issued guidance requiring single-sex hospital wards and facilities to be used by biological sex, not gender identity.
- The guidance, published Thursday, says single-sex wards, toilets and changing rooms will be allocated by biological sex, with clinical needs taking priority.
- The change follows the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling that "sex" and "woman" under the Equality Act mean biological sex.
- TransActual and Trans+ Solidarity Alliance said the guidance "will not survive contact with reality in resource-strapped hospitals" and would push trans people away from care.
- Sex Matters chief executive Maya Forstater criticised the guidance's 18-month delay and said implementation rules remain unclear.