A senior doctor is suing the Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust, alleging that its policies facilitated an incident where a transgender patient exposed themselves to other patients on a female psychiatric ward. The doctor, identified as Dr. A, claims the trust ignored serious safeguarding concerns and maintained unlawful policies.
The patient, described as a biological man who identifies as a woman, was initially placed on the female ward. Following complaints from other patients about their behavior, the individual was moved to a male ward, only to be returned to the female ward later, according to Dr. A.
Dr. A cited the trust's 'Delivering Single Sex Accommodation' policy, which she states accommodates transgender patients based on their presentation, including for facilities like toilets. This policy, she argues, is in conflict with a Supreme Court ruling from April 2025 that determined the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological women and biological sex.
Dr. A expressed concern that vulnerable women, including survivors of sexual violence, were being housed on psychiatric wards accessible to individuals who identify as women but are biological men. She stated that her attempts to understand the trust's plans for amending its policies in light of the Supreme Court ruling were met with delays and resistance.
Dr. A learned of the incident at a consultants' meeting several months after the Supreme Court's judgment. She recounted a conversation with a male consultant who described a "man with a beard and full male genitalia" exposing himself to female patients, but felt unable to act due to the trust's policies. Dr. A also spoke with a female ward manager who confirmed the incident and highlighted the perceived inconsistency in the trust's approach, noting that a man wandering from a male to a female ward would trigger an investigation, but an individual identifying as a woman would not be subject to the same scrutiny.
In June 2025, Dr. A filed a formal grievance regarding the trust's alleged failure to implement the Supreme Court ruling. While the trust partially upheld the grievance in the autumn of that year, Dr. A maintains that its policies have not been amended. She has since filed a tribunal claim with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Dr. A, commented that the case highlights the issues arising when an NHS trust disregards biological reality. Williams emphasized the vulnerability of women in psychiatric hospitals, many of whom have experienced trauma, and stressed that their need for privacy, dignity, and safety should not be compromised. Williams commended Dr. A's actions in protecting patients and supporting colleagues.
NHS England has not yet announced a date for implementing new guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission aimed at protecting single-sex spaces.