John, a 53-year-old British man, has been rushed to hospital for an emergency heart operation after suffering a serious cardiac event during the night, caused by a leaky valve. He is now in surgery, where two surgeons are working to install an artificial valve. They must act quickly.
Dr. Phil: Before we start, guys…
Dr. Jennifer (formerly known as Bob): Excuse me, my pronouns are she/they.
Dr. Phil: Erm, yes, sorry. Before we start, people, we need to ask the patient some questions – to ensure we follow the DEI guidelines. So, John, what are your pronouns?
John (gasping for breath): Eff… off…
Dr. Phil: Thank you. Next, what do you identify as?
John (still gasping): Male… Look, can you… just… help… me…?
Dr. Phil: Almost done. What is your ethnicity?
John (in pain): White…Bri…t..ish.
Dr. Phil: Great. According to the DEI app, we’ve scored 10/10 for inclusivity, which will look great for our public imaging.
The surgeons finally begin the procedure, putting John under anaesthetic. They have just opened his chest, and time is limited for the operation.
Dr. Jennifer: Sorry, but I need to take a break to tuck my genitals and adjust my new chest binders. These new binders are causing discomfort.
When Dr. Jennifer returned, John had passed away.
Obviously, this scenario is fictional. However, according to The Daily Telegraph, the NHS is considering offering trans staff additional breaks during shifts. The University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust (UH Sussex) is reportedly drafting proposals that would allow transgender employees extra time to adjust their chest binders or tuck their genitals for comfort and inclusion in the workplace. So, while this story about John is fictional, the possibility of such workplace changes being implemented in hospitals is real.
The proposed guidance states:
“Please note that transgender staff who wear chest binders or who may tuck away genitals may require extra shifts in order to have breaks from binding and tucking, as it may cause breathing difficulties.”
There are simpler solutions: either staff work through these discomforts, since transitioning is a personal decision, or they refrain from binding / tucking during work hours. There is a concern that such policies could be abused, potentially leading to staffing shortages.
Although these rules are not yet in effect, they appear to encourage binding and tucking – practices that are medically questionable. Binding (used to flatten the chest) can cause breathlessness, breast pain, skin irritation, and fungal infections. Tucking (used to conceal male genitalia) can lead to skin issues, urinary infections, or testicular problems.
UH Sussex also proposed allowing transgender women into women-only hospital spaces. However, a recent Supreme Court ruling clarified that the Equality Act refers to biological sex, which may prevent this proposal from being adopted. Whilst gender reassignment is a protected characteristic, and like the Supreme Court rules, biological sex matters in certain situations, including toilets and changing rooms. Take the case of Karen White, who is a transgender woman (formally a man). Prior to transitioning, they were convicted in 2023 of raping two women. Whilst in the women’s prison, Karen sexually assaulted two female inmates. Thankfully they were moved to a male prison, but the reason they wanted to get into a women’s prison originally should demonstrate why sensitive areas, such as the NHS, must prohibit biological men from entering women-only spaces.
It is concerning that time and resources are being spent on policies like these while the NHS faces a critical crisis: as of early 2025, the NHS waiting list has reached 6.2 million patients. Over 3.1 million people have waited more than 18 weeks for treatment, and nearly 250,000 have been waiting over a year. Despite this, NHS leadership and the government continue to prioritise diversity and inclusion programs, which neither reduce wait times nor save lives. They are reportedly spending £40 million a year on DEI programs. Funnily enough, they are quick to make use of this money.
It is time to shift the focus away from satisfying small groups through identity-based policies, and instead prioritise improving services for the 70 million UK residents who rely on the NHS. Healthcare is a right, yet many are currently unable to access it. Whilst the blame may lie heavily on public imaging, political pressure or fear of lawsuits, we must remember the health service is not a place for social and political experiments – it is a lifeline for millions.
The Labour government may blame the Conservatives, but they are now in power. Keir Starmer promised reform over funding – but after 11 months, the NHS waiting list remains more than twice the pre-pandemic level.
It’s time to face the real issues within the NHS, and stop investing time and money in DEI initiatives that risk turning our national health service into a political and cultural battleground.
Jack Watson has a Substack newsletter called Ten Foot Tigers about being a Hull City fan. You can subscribe here.
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Good article as always.
It’s too easy though to fall into groupthink traps, such as using ‘they’ when it should be ‘he’. Whilst social politeness might merit deferring to someone’s delusions in a face-to-face situation or if it’s a friend/acquaintance, extending this to criminals who aren’t known to one, except by reputation/media reports, shouldn’t become the norm – especially on TNC.
As for the NHS encouragement of unhealthy bind/tuck practices, it’s worth referring to this hypocrisy when encouraged by GPs, obese nurses etc. to abandon/limit life’s pleasures in the name of prevention (and creating further demands on the NHS by expensive prevention initiatives that sideline essential real medical interventions or minor surgeries that are now banned).
As ever, well argued and cogent: there is indeed a silent majority who look on with horror at recent practice in the NHS and the appalling waste of our money on DEI initiatives and highly suspect operational procedure. More and more “average joes” are beginning to question the role of the NHS and where exactly expected levels of non-urgent medical issues should be curtailed. Time indeed to face the real issues and become an actual health service.