Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that female patients that object to being handled by a biologically male nurse who identifies as female are not discriminated against or recorded by the healthcare organisation as being “transphobic”.

Patients can request care by a professional of a specific gender, and it will be up to the care provider or clinician to respond based on the patient’s needs and staff availability. The Government notes the importance of balancing the rights of different service users in specific contexts and ensuring that decisions taken by service providers are proportionate and patient centred.

The Women’s Health Strategy sets out how we will improve the way in which the health and care system listens to women’s voices and ensure women can access services that meet their health needs across their lives.