Attention women in Devon

Guest post by Sarah Smith

Devon Partnership NHS Trust’s ‘Supporting Transgender, Non-Binary and Intersex Patients’ policy is an absolute shocker.

There’s much to choose from, but surely the worst part is this:

“Where a transgender woman is admitted and has a history of sex offending, decisions regarding risk should include consideration of whether they are being prescribed anti-libidinal medication that would be expected to reduce sexual risk.”

Yes you read that right - this policy’s answer to the question ‘Should we ever place a convicted male rapist on a female ward?’ isn’t ‘OF COURSE NOT, ARE YOU COMPLETELY INSANE?’ but ‘Inclusion is a warm and fuzzy word isn't it, so let’s see what we can do…’

Women in Devon need to know that if they are admitted to hospital, there’s a chance there will be a convicted male sex offender in the next bed. 

The approach to supporting intersex patients is basically writing ‘and intersex’ on the end of sentences - and astonishingly this NHS Trust defines people with DSDs as ‘A term used to cover a variety of different conditions where a person has sexual or reproductive anatomy that is outside of the definitions for male or female.’

The Equality Impact Assessment on the policy, carried out in 2018, says the policy will magically benefit people with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment while not affecting anyone else. Miraculous!

Up the road in Bristol, after local women and clinicians objected, the NHS carried out an EIA on their trans guidance showing negative impacts on people with the protected characteristics of sex, age, disability and religion. Women are currently asking them to revise this and include sexual orientation. 

The good news is the Devon policy is now due for review. In response to a Freedom of Information request, the Trust said:

“The Trust is currently undertaking biennial review of the Supporting transgender, non-binary and intersex patients’policy in line with policy requirements. The ratified policy will be published in spring 2021, following thorough review and consultation with a range of key stakeholders. As the policy review is currently in early stages of scoping, the Trust is not currently able to provide details of the review process undertaken and outcomes as these have not yet been reached.This information will be available once the process has completed, in spring 2021.”

This is not good enough. 

If you’re in Devon, please complain to dpt.pals@nhs.net - ask for a new Equality Impact Assessment and ask how they plan to consult women in this policy review. 

Ask who the ‘key stakeholders’ are. 

Ask for the same transparency the NHS in Bristol has provided. 

Ask whether the policy is compliant with the Trust’s safeguarding policy. 

Ask what their legal insurers think.

The chief executive Melanie Walker is @DPT_ChiefExec - pronouns she/her. 

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