Trans activists urge doctors to fight NHS data overhaul
Trans activists are urging NHS staff to campaign against plans to protect women by collecting data on sex and not gender.
They have posted on NHS England's LGBT intranet to implore doctors and nurses to show their 'allyship' by writing to their MP to oppose the proposed changes.
In a report last month, Professor Alice Sullivan said police forces and the NHS should collect data on biological sex rather than a person's self-declared gender identity.
Critics say that allowing public bodies to remove sex from statistical records compromises research into women's issues and makes it difficult for researchers to spot trends in rape cases, medical trials or gender pay gaps.
Professor Sullivan's review found that cancer referrals had been missed and previous convictions overlooked because biological sex was not being recorded.
The report was welcomed by Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, who said having accurate data on sex was vital for patient safety.
But activists have described it as 'biased, inadequate and potentially harmful'.
'Demonstrate your allyship'
In a post on NHS England's LGBT network, one activist linked to a statement from the group TransActual which rejected the report.
The post said: 'Leading transgender organisation TransActual together with academics from the Feminist Gender Equality Network (FGEN) today rejected the conclusion of a report on data collection by academic Professor Alice Sullivan as biased, inadequate and potentially harmful to all citizens of the UK, whether trans or not.
'For allies within the network, now is the time to take action. Demonstrate your allyship by writing to your local MP and urging them to oppose the recommendations of the report.
'Encourage them to speak out against it within their party and advocate for a more inclusive approach.'
The activist then linked to TransActual's statement on the Sullivan Review, which claimed the idea that there are only two sexes is 'factually incorrect' and an 'incorrect dog-whistle assertion'.
It also said Professor Sullivan was a 'prominent anti-trans activist'.
Its strategy director, Keyne Walker, said: 'These recommendations would do nothing to support the Government's stated objectives regarding equality and diversity, nor on data use. It represents a deviation from the Government's stated position, and would be a U-turn should it be implemented.
'Worse, the experience of those working in the field suggests that far from improving data quality, the measures promoted by this report would make data collected on sex and gender far less reliable.
'The Sullivan Review is rooted in factually incorrect assertions about the binary nature of sex and gender and antipathy towards trans people, despite lip-service towards respect for diverse gender identities.
'The Review's recommendation for both sex and gender characteristics to be collected is presented as in the interest of the welfare of trans people.
'However, the recommendations would effectively mean that trans people have no right to privacy, likely breaching human rights law, as well as codifying the incorrect dog-whistle assertion that sex is binary and immutable.'
She went on: 'Despite its claims of impartiality, it was produced by leading members of an anti-trans campaign group and reflects their arguments.
'As such, it is an unsuitable basis for policymaking and we encourage DSIT to reject its findings entirely.'
Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at women's rights charity Sex Matters, said the comments showed why Mr Streeting needed to 'get gender ideology out of the health service'.
She said: 'It is shocking to see an NHS England employee amplifying calls from a trans activist group to ignore the recommendations of the Sullivan report.
'This should be a wake-up call to the [Health Secretary] to get gender ideology out of the health service, for everyone's sake.
'Whether a patient is male or female is vital information in healthcare, but this lobby group wants the NHS to record falsehoods instead of facts in people's health records. This is not good for anyone. It's no longer credible to claim that trans activist demands are no threat to anyone else.'
A spokesman for NHS England did not comment on the campaign against the adoption of Prof Sullivan's recommendations.
He said: 'The NHS has written to GPs to ensure that they immediately stop the process of changing NHS numbers and gender markers for children and young people under 18, following the Sullivan review and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care's direction.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
20 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Key points announced ahead of Rachel Reeves' spending review
The review, which will set out day-to-day spending plans for the next three years and capital spending plans for the next four, is expected to see boosts for the NHS, defence and schools. But it is also likely to involve squeezes for other departments as the Chancellor seeks to keep within the fiscal rules she has set for herself. Her room for manoeuvre has also been further constrained by the Government's U-turn on winter fuel payments, which will see the benefit paid to pensioners receiving up to £35,000 per year at a cost of around £1.25 billion to the Treasury. The full details will be revealed in the Commons on Wednesday, but several announcements have already been made. They include: – £15.6 billion for public transport projects in England's city regions; – £16.7 billion for nuclear power projects, including £14.2 billion for the new Sizewell C power plant in Suffolk; – £39 billion over the next 10 years to build affordable and social housing; – An extension of the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027; – £445 million for upgrades to Welsh railways. The Chancellor is also expected to announce changes to the Treasury's 'green book' rules that govern whether major projects are approved. The Government hopes that changing the green book will make it easier to invest in areas outside London and the South East.
Sky News
21 minutes ago
- Sky News
Spending review: More cash for schools, NHS and defence expected as chancellor unveils plans
The chancellor will unveil the spending review at lunchtime - with plans to invest billions of pounds across the UK. However, Rachel Reeves will admit that "too many people" are yet to feel the benefits of the government's work so far. In the House of Commons, she will confirm the budgets for each government department over the next three years - with boosts expected for schools, defence and the NHS. Ms Reeves will vow to spend vast sums of money across the country to "ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities". She is also pledging to set out "reforms that will guarantee towns and cities outside London and the South East can benefit from new investment". Ms Reeves is expected to say: "This government is renewing Britain. But I know too many people in too many parts of the country are yet to feel it. "This government's task - my task - and the purpose of this spending review - is to change that ... So that people can see a doctor when they need one. Know that they are secure at work. And feel safe on their local high street. "The priorities in this spending review are the priorities of working people. To invest in our country's security, health and economy so working people all over our country are better off." 3:56 Watch live coverage of the spending review on Sky News from 12pm Ms Reeves will formally confirm "the biggest-ever local transport infrastructure investment in England's city regions" - worth £15.6bn - as well as £86bn to "boost science and technology", including by building the Sizewell C nuclear power station. She will also announce the extension of the £3 cap on bus fares, Sky News understands. The cap - which Labour lifted from £2 - was due to expire at the end of this year. Meanwhile, £39bn for a new Affordable Homes Programme over the next 10 years is set to be unveiled, with the government seeking to ramp up housebuilding to hit its manifesto pledge of 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament. 10:28 The chancellor will argue: "The choices in this spending review are possible only because of the stability I have introduced and the choices I took in the autumn." One of those choices included cutting the winter fuel allowance for almost all pensioners - a decision the government has now U-turned on at a cost of £1.25bn. However, she is not expected to explain where that money will come from until the budget this autumn. Ms Reeves will tell MPs: "I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal. "These are my choices. These are this government's choices. These are the British people's choices." But shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said this will be "the 'spend today, tax tomorrow' spending review" - arguing that the government is "spending money it doesn't have, with no credible plan to pay for it". He said in a statement: "Rachel Reeves talks about 'hard choices' - but her real choice has been to take the easy road. Spend more, borrow more, and cross her fingers. This spending review won't be a plan for the future - it will be a dangerous gamble with Britain's economic stability." He went on: "Today, we'll hear slogans, spin and self-congratulation - but not the truth. Don't be fooled. Behind the spin lies a dangerous economic gamble that risks the country's financial future."
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Robotic surgeries set to soar under NHS plans
In 2023/24, some 70,000 robot-assisted surgeries were carried out in the NHS in England, but the number is expected to rise to around half a million over the next decade. NHS officials said that by 2035, it is expected that nine in 10 of all keyhole surgeries will be delivered with robot assistance – up from one in five at present. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who had robot-assisted surgery when he had treatment for kidney cancer, said that innovative technologies will 'transform the NHS'. NHS England said that patients who have robotic assisted-surgery tend to recover quicker and are able to leave hospital sooner. Experts said that robotic surgery allows 'greater dexterity and are easier to manipulate' compared to traditional surgery. Surgeons control instruments using a console and a camera. In some othopaedic procedures, robots are programmed to perform elements of procedures. Officials said that the range of robotic-assisted procedures has widened in recent years and spans multiple areas of medicine. Speaking ahead of a speech at the NHS ConfedExpo conference in Manchester, NHS England boss Sir Jim Mackey said: 'The NHS has pledged to return to shorter elective waiting times by 2029 and we are using every tool at our disposal to ensure patients get the best possible treatment. 'Expanding the use of new and exciting tech such as robotic surgery will play a huge part in this. 'Not only does it speed up the number of procedures the NHS can do, but it also means better outcomes, a faster recovery and shorter hospital stays for patients.' Mr Streeting said: 'Innovative treatments and technologies that help fast track better outcomes for patients is how we transform our NHS and make it fit for the future. 'I know myself how important this is, when the NHS saved my life from kidney cancer with an operation led by a world-class surgeon being helped by a robot. 'Whether it's robotic surgery, our new health data research service to accelerate the development of new medicines, or announcing new artificial intelligence that detects skin cancer, our Plan for Change is driving forward new ways to help cut waiting lists and get patients treated on time again.' John McGrath, consultant surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust and chair of the NHSE Steering Committee for Robotic Assisted Surgery, added: 'Robot-assisted surgery is a perfect example of innovation improving patients' care and transforming the way the NHS works – the number of procedures being carried is set to rapidly grow over the next 10 years according to our analysis. 'As keyhole surgery continues to develop and scale up in the NHS, it is likely that many of these procedures will be provided with degrees of robot assistance in the future. 'Faster recovery and shorter hospital stays are not only hugely important benefits for patients undergoing surgery, if used efficiently they can have a positive impact on the rest of the system by relieving pressure on services and therefore helping to reduce waiting times.'
