Trans people could face delays and a greater risk of “corridor care” under new NHS England guidance that means they will no longer be able to use same-sex wards, according to an internal report.
An NHS England impact assessment, seen by the Guardian, stated that trans people may also potentially experience discrimination and this could lead to them “avoiding accessing healthcare at all”.
The document considered the impact of new NHS guidance on single-sex spaces across all protected characteristics, including age, disability and sex. It said the policy’s focus on “privacy, dignity and safety for men and women” would have a positive impact, as would the legal accuracy in guidance on single-sex spaces.
But it said there were a “number of potential adverse impacts for trans people”, adding: “There may be delays and a greater risk of ‘corridor care’ for trans people with a negative impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing if side rooms are not available.
“Trans people may fear and potentially experience discrimination by being ‘outed’ as trans through not being accommodated in a ward that aligns with their lived gender or being placed in a side room.”
It said there was a risk that hospitals would not have the capacity to provide side rooms when needed, “forcing trans people into the potentially distressing situation of being accommodated on wards aligned with their biological sex”.
Source: The Guardian, 18 October 2026
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment