NHS bosses were last night ordered to hastily follow new guidance on single-sex spaces following a landmark court decision.
They were told by ministers they must comply with this week’s Supreme Court ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex.
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It upends NHS guidelines stating that trans people should be treated according to how they dress and be given accommodation based on clothing and name.
The Department of Health said: “This is the law, and we expect all public service bodies to comply. We are in contact with the NHS and expect them to work quickly.”
The judgment offered “much needed confidence and clarity” to adapt its policies particularly in reviewing living arrangements, it added.
The Whitehall intervention came after the Equality and Human Rights Commission chairwoman Baroness Falkner said the NHS would be pursued if it did not act on single-sex spaces.
A group of nurses in Darlington have started legal proceedings for being forced to undress in front of a transgender colleague.
And Health Minister Karin Smith failed four times to give clarification on what changing rooms women should use following this week’s ruling by judges.
Unison, which gave Labour more than £4million last year, called on any affected members to contact it, with one boss saying it did not change its policy on trans rights.
Former equalities boss Trevor Phillips said the NHS must “stop whining about how difficult it is”.
He said: “If they want to and need to provide facilities for people who have undergone gender reassignment, then they need to do that as well.”
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said: “Now institutions like the NHS must follow the letter of the law and issue clear guidance to ensure women’s spaces are respected.
“It’s time to bin gender ideology once and for all.”
The NHS said: “We are working through the implications of the ruling. We don’t have an exact timeframe established yet.”
