BPS Sexualities Section response to Health Secretary’s announcement
The Section adds its voice to those groups and individuals who have expressed their disappointment and concern at the Health Secretary’s announcement.
11 October 2023
Last week the Health Secretary Steve Barclay announced plans to ban transgender women from female wards in the NHS in line with a policy of single sex wards. This has been broadly met with disappointment and objection from a number of organisations and agencies, and Conservative MPs, who represent or are allied with LGBTQ+ communities.
The Psychology of Sexualities Section of the British Psychological Society adds its voice to these groups and individuals on the grounds that it is not aware of any complaints* to support the need for a such a ban. As has been widely publicised, there appears to be no evidence of complaints about transgender women on NHS wards and the need for such a policy is thus highly questionable.
Ideological policies which are not backed by evidence, such as this, put the mental and physical health of trans people at direct risk. The broader psychological effect of comments such as "we will restore common sense" and "we know what a woman is" serve to toxify the public against a vulnerable, minoritized group in ways familiar to gay men, lesbians, people of colour and people of Islamic faith.
There are already significant barriers to accessing both physical and mental healthcare for trans youth and adults**, and we must work together to resolve these in way that ensures safety and access for everyone.
*https://translucent.org.uk/womens-single-sex-spaces-in-hospitals/
**https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/blog/2022/09/acting-evidence-ensuring-nhs-meets-needs-trans-people