A senior psychiatrist in England is taking legal action against the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, alleging that hospital officials disregarded safeguarding concerns by admitting biological males who identify as women onto female psychiatric wards. The lawsuit follows a landmark U.K. Supreme Court ruling in April 2025 that affirmed the terms "woman," "man," and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex.
The psychiatrist, represented by the Christian Legal Centre under the pseudonym "Dr. A," stated that vulnerable female patients, including survivors of sexual violence, were housed in psychiatric wards under policies that allowed men access to these spaces, including showers, based solely on their gender identity. Dr. A claims that repeated inquiries about the Trust's compliance with the Supreme Court's ruling were met with resistance and delays.
According to a report from The Times, the dispute escalated after an incident where a biological male patient identifying as a woman was reportedly placed on a women's psychiatric ward and exposed male genitalia to female patients. The patient was allegedly moved to a male ward following complaints before being returned to the women's ward.
Dr. A stated that the incident was described to her by another consultant, who reported that the patient, described as "a man with a beard and full male genitalia," had exposed himself to female patients. She pursued legal action after her internal concerns over the past three years did not lead to adequate policy changes.
Dr. A filed an Employment Tribunal claim against the NHS Trust, alleging unlawful workplace discrimination and harassment due to her gender-critical beliefs. She contends the Trust ignored her safeguarding warnings and failed to align its policies with the Supreme Court's ruling.
The Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust has acknowledged the Supreme Court ruling on its website and stated it is reviewing its policies. "As a result, we are actively undertaking an audit of our policies, procedures and processes in order to reflect this clarification in the law," the Trust said.
NHS England's current guidance, initially issued in 2019, suggests accommodating transgender patients according to their gender presentation for facilities like toilets and bathing. However, NHS England has indicated this guidance is under review following the Supreme Court ruling.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) referenced its new statutory Code of Practice, which clarifies that in separate or single-sex services, a trans man would be excluded from a men-only service because his sex is female, and a trans woman would be excluded from a women-only service because her sex is male. The EHRC also noted that service providers must consider whether a woman's safety, privacy, or dignity would be jeopardized by sharing a service with men, particularly in situations where women may be undressed, have limited ability to leave, or are receiving services related to male violence.
Sonja Shaw, a candidate for California superintendent of public instruction and advocate for girls' sports, criticized policies she believes put women's safety at risk, stating, "Sex is real, and girls and women deserve privacy, safety, and fairness, not institutions that pretend otherwise."