- K. Rowling has offered to fund female NHS patients & staff who take legal action over biological males being permitted into women-only spaces.
The Harry Potter author acted after 1 health trust said transgender women may continue to use female wards, washrooms, and showers besides changing rooms for now.
The move by the Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) materialised despite the introduction of a new statutory code on single-sex spaces.
Ms. Rowling wrote on X that the lawsuits may keep coming. Should any female patient or member of staff need funding to fight this assault on their legal rights, apply to apply to her fund.
This refers to the J. K. Rowling Women’s Fund. It’s a private legal fund that was established last year.
The trust covers Staffordshire & Shropshire. Her intervention transpired after she told employees that there may be no immediate changes to its policies. This follows the introduction of the revised statutory code.
Patients may access single-sex facilities, guided by MPFT’s present policies. This policy includes hospital wards according to their gender identity rather than biological sex. Male staff who identified as women may also use female washrooms, showers & changing rooms.
The Equality & Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) revised code came into effect last week. The change is nearly 16 months after the Supreme Court ruled that the words “woman,” “man,” & “sex” in the Equality Act refer to biological sex.
The code states that single-sex services The code allows for the provision of single-sex services based on biological sex. on the basis of biological sex. It also cautions that admitting members of the opposite sex may make them mixed-sex in law.
It added that employers may provide separate washrooms and washing facilities besides changing rooms for men & women in accordance with workplace regulations.
Former home secretary Suella Braverman asserted that the trust was breaking the law. She called upon the Department of Health & Social Care, as well as the EHRC, to take action. The Reform MP wrote on X that the situation was a scandal.
