West London NHS Trust defies Supreme Court ruling on gender access
West London NHS Trust has continued to allow patients with a gender recognition certificate to use female‑only wards and toilets, despite the UK Supreme Court’s decision that "sex" under the Equality Act refers to biological sex. The trust says the policy is a temporary measure pending national NHS guidance and was drafted with legal advice.
Shadow equalities minister Claire Coutiout called the approach "astonishing" and warned it could be unlawful, urging the health secretary to withdraw the policy. Campaigners fear the stance could set a precedent that weakens sex‑based protection in single‑sex spaces, while the Equality and Human Rights Commission stresses that the court ruling establishes legal sex as recorded at birth.