from Christian Concern
An NHS Trust in the north of England faces legal action from a senior doctor and consultant psychiatrist who alleges that it dismissed serious safeguarding concerns about bearded male patients who identify as women being admitted to female psychiatric wards.
The claimant, anonymised as “Dr A” and represented by the Christian Legal Centre, says vulnerable female patients, including survivors of sexual violence, have been detained in psychiatric wards under unlawful NHS policies which allow mento access these wards and intimate places, such as showers, because they merely identify as women.
On 16 April 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that “sex”, “woman” and “man” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex, while confirming that people with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment remain protected from unlawful discrimination.
Dr A expected the Trust to bring its policies into line with the ruling. Instead, she alleges that her repeated requests for clarity were met with delay, resistance and suggestions that the judgment might be challenged in the European Court of Human Rights or conflict with the views of professional bodies, such as the British Medical Association.
The day after the ruling, the Trust reportedly told staff there would be no immediate changes for patients.
Dr A believes sex is biological, binary and immutable, and that female patients and staff are legally and morally entitled to single-sex wards, toilets and changing facilities. Her case argues that these beliefs are protected under the Equality Act and that she suffered workplace detriments for expressing them.