NHS Trusts: Gender
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of disputes concerning access to single‑sex changing rooms in NHS hospitals on staff wellbeing.
Answered by Karin Smyth
Under the Public Sector Equality Duty, National Health Service organisations have their own legal duty to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations, and to ensure decisions are justified, evidence-based, and proportionate in line with local assessment of impact.
On 21 May 2026, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Minister for Women and Equalities, laid the Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC’s) Code of practice for services, public functions and associations in Parliament. Parliament now has 40 sitting days to consider the code.
In addition, NHS England is developing guidance for all NHS trusts and integrated care boards regarding the provision and use of physical NHS staff facilities. This will advise employers on the approach they must take to ensure that they have written policies that are up to date and legally compliant.
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