Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the (a) safety, (b) dignity and (c) provision of healthcare for (i) transgender and (ii) non-binary people in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

The Denny Review, published in September 2023, investigated health-related inequalities in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. This included a report commissioned from Healthwatch Luton on the experiences of LGBT+ people in the town.

Subsequently, training was provided to general practices in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes to increase the confidence of practices in enhancing dignity and respect for this group of patients.

NHS England has also increased the number of gender services available, across England, for both children and young people and adults. A Children and Young People’s specialised gender service is anticipated to open in the East of England later in the year.

In April 2025, my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, commissioned NHS England to undertake an LGBT+ health evidence review to better understand LGBT+ healthcare needs and provide advice on future actions to address health inequalities amongst LGBT+ people including those who identify as trans and non-binary. The review was launched in June 2025 and will run for six months.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator in England with oversight of providers of health and adult social care. It holds services providers to account for safety and dignity for all patients and service users. The standards are enshrined in CQC regulations, having due regard to protected characteristics defined in the Equality Act 2010. Failure to comply with CQC standards can result is enforcement action.