NHS England to stress biological sex in ward allocations

The measure is part of a raft of changes to the NHS Constitution for England, the charter of rights for patients. The proposals stress the importance of biological sex for the first time when it comes to same-sex accommodation and intimate care. Patients will have the right to request a person of the same biological sex delivers any intimate care. This is the right behind "Martha's rule", which is being introduced in the NHS, to ensure patients know they can ask for a second opinion, with the government providing funding to hospitals for posters and leaflets informing patients and their families. Labour's shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: "Rights on paper are worthless unless they are delivered in practice."The NHS constitution already pledges that no patient will have to share an overnight ward with patients of the opposite sex, but that is not the case for too many patients.

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