Princess Grace hospital cancelled vital surgery for woman who requested single-sex care

That's outrageous how on earth could anyone think this is acceptable.

I suppose it was a matter of time before something like this brought things to a head.

Let's hope it does some good Aveline as it demonstrates just how ridiculous the whole thing's become.

Everyone understands that female-only staff may not always be possible but if that's the case, it should be explained to the patient.
Teresa was simply expected to accept a transwoman as a female and, when she objected, was told her operation was cancelled.

This is not the hard-pressed NHS, by the way, but a private hospital.

Exactly FarNorth- there has never been an absolute right to have female, or male, staff only. This is absolutely unworkable.
So if someone is trans-genre, what difference does it make.

I want caring, experienced, well qualified nurses and doctors. Who they sleep with, or decide to be, is none of my business. Are we going to agree with those who only want some of a certain colour, or vegans only, or ...

Our cousin qualified as a nurse in the UK, but back in Sout Africa, could not work in white hospitals as she was deemed 'coloured' by Apartheid.

Ah sorry, one post then I'm off before the shouting starts...

Does anyone think it's acceptable to say that you won't accept a nurse of any description because you don't accept their "pronouns"?

Would it be OK to say you don't want Nurse X because they are black, or Jewish? Then publish a whole Twitter thread about how you got the hospital to change their minds? If I needed life saving surgery I'd have anybody I could on the medical team.

Whole things gone bonkers.

As I understand it, she had suffered from sexual violence in the past which has given her a great fear of being touched by men as it triggers memories of her attack. I believec it was morecthan just a simple preference.

Thanks vovler, no shouting from me, I said more or less the same just before you.

What is it was allowed to only request male nurses or doctors?

Saying you wouldn't accept a black or Jewish nurse would be racist volver. Personally, I wouldn't ever insist on female only staff but if I did, I wouldn't expect to have to accept a trans woman as female.

That makes perfect sense Ilovecheese.

Fleurpepper

Thanks vovler, no shouting from me, I said more or less the same just before you.

What is it was allowed to only request male nurses or doctors?

I think we crossed posted

Ilovecheese

As I understand it, she had suffered from sexual violence in the past which has given her a great fear of being touched by men as it triggers memories of her attack. I believec it was morecthan just a simple preference.

Yes. She had an important reason. It wasn't a trivial request before everyone piles in.

If people are ill and need treatment, does it really matter? For goodness sake let's be grateful for quality medical care . If a nurse caring for me was a trans nurse I would not care, I would just expect quality care.

I've recently spent a few days in hospital in France after an emergency op. This was followed by 2 weeks of nurses coming in everyday to change my dressings and to check that I was OK. One of those nurses was a man. As my op entailed a 15 cm cut down my stomach he saw that part of my naked body. He also had to put a very large elasticated bandage/belt around my middle and in the process would have seen my boobs. It wasn't a problem.

My surgeon was a man - again no problem.

Chatting with a friend who in her youth was a nurse. She said that for a while she worked in a theatre where they operated on enlarged prostates. She said the op took about 15 minutes and they would do between 12 and 15 in one morning. Being the junior she had to hold the penis upright for about 5 minutes to allow something or other to drain. She did go into more detail as to why she had to do this but she did say that no one has the right to specify the sex of the nurse.

Shelflife

If people are ill and need treatment, does it really matter? For goodness sake let's be grateful for quality medical care . If a nurse caring for me was a trans nurse I would not care, I would just expect quality care.

Shelflife If you read back in the thread, you will see that the patient had suffered from sexual violence from a male and was afraid of men. She had a reason for requesting female nurses.

You might feel the same Shelflife if you'd been previously violently attacked.

If the patient had been attacked by a Jewish person, would it have been OK to object to having a Jewish person on the medical team?

The point is that having requested female only staff, this patient appears to have been expected to accept a transwoman as female which she wasn't prepared to do.

No idea volver, it might depend on the nature of the attack. For me, it's perfectly understandable that a woman who had been subjected to sexual violence in the past, would want only to be attended too by females.

Smileless2012

The point is that having requested female only staff, this patient appears to have been expected to accept a transwoman as female which she wasn't prepared to do.

Fair enough- then had to accept the consequences.

Maternity care for both my children was overseen by a male consultant. When I was in a high dependency unit after a heart scare, I had a male nurse. After a heart attack, a stent operation, which was inserted through my groin, was performed by males. My breast cancer op was performed by a male. One of the biopsies was done by a male. Two of my five radiotherapy sessions on my breast were done by males.

I couldn't have cared less whether any of the above were trans. I'm very glad to be alive and not to have had procedures postponed while a female was found.

From the social media messages, it sounds as though the "patient" was more concerned about her beliefs than genuine anxiety.

I think patients should accept the staff whatever their gender. I would. I would ask to be on a female ward though as I wouldn’t be comfortable in a mixed ward. However if that was all that was available I’d have to put up with it.

When my elderly mother was in her care home, she refused male carers to deal with her intimate care. She was happy with any other type of care from males though. The home didn’t find it a problem. They simply wrote on her notes that she preferred females for intimate care. They believed in honouring the dignity and choices of the residents.

Shelflife

If people are ill and need treatment, does it really matter? For goodness sake let's be grateful for quality medical care . If a nurse caring for me was a trans nurse I would not care, I would just expect quality care.

I read about this woman last week, if you need the Op get it done.

She particularly wanted a female team plus done/assisted by a De Vinci Robot, this is big bucks in the Private Sector.
I think there is more to this story?
I really don't think a Private Hospital would turn this custom down.

BTW, most Big NHS Hospitals have at least one now.

What if she had been attacked by a black woman, or a Jewish man, or a Chinese?

I meant, it is possible to make specific requests, perhaps, in extreme circumstances. But the health services are so stretched, with a great shortage of qualified staff, it is not possible to guarantee what happens on the day.