NHS England orders Norfolk hospitals to change trans patient ward policy

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 13:33 · Archive

NHS England has instructed Norfolk hospitals to place patients in wards according to biological sex rather than gender identity.

NHS England has issued new guidance requiring Norfolk hospitals to place patients in single-sex wards according to their biological sex rather than gender identity, reversing the trust's previous 2019 policy which said healthcare workers should respect an individual's gender identity.

The directive comes 18 months after the Supreme Court ruled that 'sex' in the Equality Act means biological sex. Hospital bosses have been told to review the guidance 'at pace' and draw up plans to tackle any areas requiring change. The guidance covers sleeping accommodation, toilets and bathrooms in acute and community hospitals as well as mental health units, with trans patients to be placed in line with their sex registered at birth.

The Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, which manages three major hospital sites in the region since May 2025, had previously stated its policies were under review. The directive also applies to the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which manages mental health facilities in the county, and to Norfolk's GP surgeries.

How it is being reported

• Norfolk hospitals finally told to change their rules on trans patientsNorfolk hospital bosses have finally been told they must stop letting transwomen onto female wards, more than a year after a landmark court ruling.Eastern Daily Press · 16 Oct, 13:00
• Norfolk hospitals finally told to change their rules on trans patientsNorfolk hospital bosses have finally been told they must stop letting transwomen onto female wards, more than a year after a landmark court ruling.Norwich Evening News · 16 Oct, 13:00

In this story: NHS England · Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital · Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn · James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston · Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group · Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust · Norfolk · Supreme Court

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