- NHS bosses claim there had been a ‘systems failure’ in the new £450m IT system
- Midwife said they were forced to record a child’s ‘gender identity’
- Women’s rights activists said the move was a chilling sign of the influence of transgender activism
Newborn babies will have their ‘gender identity’ recorded instead of their biological sex when they are discharged from a number of leading NHS hospitals, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Midwives filling out forms for babies born at London’s Guy’s and Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College Hospital will only have the option to select ‘gender identity’ on a new £450 million IT system.
Last night NHS bosses claimed there had been a ‘system error’ with the US-made technology, and vowed to return to recording a baby’s gender after being approached for comment.
But women’s rights campaigners said the move was yet another chilling sign of the influence of transgender activism within the NHS, which has led to rows over other language changes, such as removing the word “women” or “mother” from some healthcare services.
Hospitals have always kept official records of babies’ biological sex. The discharge summaries contain essential health information about the birth and form part of a patient’s permanent NHS health record. The forms are sent to the child’s GP, health visitors and other postnatal care hospitals.
When newborn babies are discharged from some leading NHS hospitals, their ‘gender identity’ will be recorded instead of their biological sex
Summary of hospital discharge of a two-day-old baby Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
But a whistle-blowing midwife who worked at the two London hospitals said they had been forced to list a child’s ‘gender identity’ instead of sex on forms in recent weeks.
The changes came as part of a new computer system called EPIC that went live at several teaching hospitals in London. At least six more NHS trusts across the country will roll out the system, which will cost taxpayers £450 million over the next 15 years.
The midwife said: ‘The hospital discharge summary is an important document for the baby so that he can receive the best care from the whole NHS team.
‘But we are talking about newborn and very young babies. What on earth does gender identity as a concept have to do with them? It is ridiculous.’
The whistleblower said the NHS crackdown had created a ‘climate of fear’ among some midwives. Clinicians are encouraged to use the term “birthing parent” instead of “mother” and to discuss “breastfeeding” instead of “breastfeeding.”
Maya Forstater of campaign group Sex Matters said: ‘London hospitals registering babies based on their gender identity is absurd and horrifying, and a clear indicator of the extent to which trans activism has taken over the NHS.’
General view of St. Thomas Hospital, April 7, 2020
General view of the ambulance entrance in the emergency department of King’s College Hospital in London on September 26, 2007 in London
‘A baby cannot have a gender identity because it is a baby’
Jenny Gamble, professor of midwifery at Coventry University, said: ‘Sex is not assigned at birth, that is delusional. A baby cannot have a gender identity because it is a baby. Gender identity is important later in life, but it never takes away from the importance of sex.”
Last night a spokesperson for the hospitals thanked The Mail on Sunday for highlighting the ‘unfortunate language’ which he said was standard in the new computer system.
They said: ‘This error will be fixed as soon as possible and we apologize for any confusion.
“We’re changing it to read ‘sex’ for the newborn’s hospital discharge summary.”
Our revelations come after the NHS came under fire for removing the word ‘women’ from guides on menopause and diseases such as ovarian and cervical cancer.
The government has pledged to curb such woke terminology to strengthen protections for women’s services.