Melanie Holloway, NHS England’s diversity manager, has urged support for transgender staff who feel unsafe after the Supreme Court’s ruling defining “woman” as biologically female, advocating flexible working arrangements including home working, prompting mixed reactions across the NHS workforce.
An NHS England diversity manager has called for trans staff who feel unsafe following a recent Supreme Court ruling to be supported with the option to work from home. Melanie Holloway, who is also chairman of the NHS England LGBTQIA+ staff network, issued a memo on the NHS intranet describing the judgment as creating “troubling times for our community” and expressed concerns about its potential effects on pronoun use and the risk of intentional misgendering.
The Supreme Court ruling, handed down last week, determined that the definition of “woman” in the Equality Act applies specifically to biological women. This decision is expected to prompt NHS policy changes that will prevent male-born transgender individuals from using women’s toilets and changing rooms within NHS facilities.
In her memo, Holloway highlighted that the ruling’s impact extends beyond transgender colleagues. She wrote: “It will reinforce some people’s boldness about people that access toilet facilities. Cis women who are masculine in appearance (regardless of sexuality) are also at a safety risk.” She advocated for flexible working arrangements, stating, “Working from home should be supported and promoted for anyone who may not feel safe accessing offices generally but especially facilities.” She concluded by inviting staff to contact her with ideas on supporting trans colleagues during this period.
The memo has drawn mixed reactions from NHS staff. One clinician expressed surprise that there was no mention of the concerns of biologically female staff, whose rights they said have been “systematically eroded” in recent years. They criticised previous policies that allowed male-born staff to use women’s toilets and changing rooms without measures to protect women who felt unsafe. The clinician remarked, “The NHS has been in the thrall of trans ideology for a long time, at the expense of women’s rights. This memo is a prime example of that.”
Another staff member claimed that NHS workers who voice concerns about the so-called “obsession with trans ideology”—including practices such as prescribing puberty blockers to children—have been “blacklisted” from promotion opportunities. A third clinician warned that the “hysteria” generated by trans lobbyists may hinder patient care, especially for the small number of children genuinely experiencing gender dysphoria. They observed that services have become overwhelmed by social media influences, noting, “The NHS has been so busy naval-gazing, it has forgotten the people who actually need us—our patients—are the ones we should be focusing resources on.”
Health secretary Wes Streeting has publicly addressed the issue, saying that under new NHS policies influenced by the Supreme Court decision, trans patients may receive treatment in private areas. He has previously stated, “Trans women are women, get over it.” However, some clinicians express concern about the practicality of this approach. One noted, “Private rooms are very few and far between in NHS hospitals. They are normally reserved for people with very serious health problems. If they become clogged up with trans patients, it could put people’s lives at risk.”
Helen Joyce, director of the campaign group Sex Matters, criticised the NHS diversity memo. She argued, “Claims that trans people will be in danger if they use the right bathroom for their sex are based on no evidence. It’s downright ridiculous to claim that these purely notional risks are so severe that trans people should work from home as a precaution.” Joyce also dismissed the suggestion that cisgender women with short hair or masculine dress styles would be at risk in women’s facilities as “beyond absurd,” asserting that any confusion would be quickly resolved through communication. She urged NHS management to “damp down the hysteria, not feed it,” warning against what she described as emotional blackmail by trans-activist groups in response to recent legal decisions.
In response, an NHS spokesperson said that the organisation is “working through the implications of the Supreme Court ruling for the wider health service to deliver the safest patient care and as an employer.” The spokesperson added that NHS England staff are expected to spend a minimum of 40 per cent of their time working in the office but may submit flexible working requests, including home working arrangements, subject to managerial approval and where productivity is not affected.
Melanie Holloway is recognised as a British Diversity Award nominee and has led several national inclusion projects within the NHS. Her social media profiles list her preferred pronouns as “She/Her” and identify her specialisation in LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Her recent memo reflects ongoing debates within the NHS workforce about balancing the rights and safety of transgender staff and patients with those of biologically female colleagues, amidst evolving legal standards and policies.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/news/stories/uk-supreme-court-gender-ruling-awp-response – This NHS Trust page confirms the UK Supreme Court ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law, referencing the 16 April 2025 decision and acknowledging its impact on trans and non-binary staff in the NHS, which supports the article’s description of the ruling and its anticipated effect on NHS policies.
- https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/lgbtqia/nhs-lgbtqia-staff-network/ – This NHS England LGBTQIA+ staff network page demonstrates the existence of an NHS network supporting LGBTQIA+ staff, consistent with Melanie Holloway being chairman of the NHS England LGBTQIA+ staff network and her advocacy for trans staff.
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65278599 – This BBC news article discusses the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman in the Equality Act, highlighting the concerns around access to women’s facilities by male-born transgender individuals and the anticipated policy changes in NHS settings as outlined in the article.
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/18/nhs-diversity-chief-calls-for-trans-staff-support-after-supreme-court-ruling – The Guardian article reports on the NHS England diversity manager’s memo urging support for trans staff including home working options following the Supreme Court judgment, confirming Melanie Holloway’s concerns about workplace safety and pronoun use.
- https://www.sexmatters.org.uk/press-releases/response-to-nhs-diversity-memo – The campaign group Sex Matters published criticism of NHS diversity memos concerning trans issues, echoing Helen Joyce’s statements about there being no evidence for claimed risks in trans individuals using sex-appropriate facilities and her call to reduce alarmism, as described in the article.
- https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/health-secretary-wes-streeting-on-trans-rights-and-nhs-policies – In a public speech, Health Secretary Wes Streeting affirmed that trans women are women and outlined NHS approaches to providing private areas for trans patients, confirming the article’s references to his statements and the challenges involved.
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14648667/nhs-diversity-manager-trans-staff-unsafe-supreme-court-ruling.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative references a ‘recent Supreme Court ruling handed down last week’ and quotes the NHS England diversity manager’s memo responding to it, indicating the content is current. There is no sign of recycled news or outdated references; key figures such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting are still in role, matching current known timelines. No indications of this being a press release; it’s an original memo reported in narrative form.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
Several direct quotes are attributed to Melanie Holloway, NHS clinicians, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Helen Joyce, and an NHS spokesperson. Wes Streeting’s quote ‘Trans women are women, get over it’ is publicly known from recent statements, matching original sources. Others, such as Holloway’s memo excerpts, seem to originate from an internal NHS notice not widely published elsewhere, suggesting some of these quotes might be original disclosures. No contradictory or untraceable quotes found.
Source reliability
Score:
5
Notes:
The narrative originates from the Daily Mail, a widely read but often criticised tabloid-style outlet known for polarising coverage. While it reports actual statements and official reactions, its reputation for sensationalism lowers reliability. The NHS and Health Secretary quotes are likely accurate, but framing and selection of dissenting voices may reflect editorial bias. Caution is warranted when interpreting claims or emotive language.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
Claims about the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of ‘woman’ in the Equality Act, resulting NHS policy changes, and concerns about trans staff safety and use of facilities are plausible and consistent with recent UK legal and social developments. The memo and staff reactions reflect ongoing real debates within NHS workplaces. The narrative’s accounts of policy implications and pushback align with known controversies, though some claims (e.g., about ‘blacklisting’) lack direct external corroboration.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative is timely and relates to very recent events involving a UK Supreme Court ruling and consequent NHS workplace responses. Quotes are mostly traceable and likely authentic, especially official statements. However, originating from a polarising publication known for provocative framing, the coverage must be considered with caution regarding tone and selection bias. The claims about policy changes and workplace tensions are plausible but not fully verifiable with independent corroboration yet. Overall, the story merits further monitoring for updates and confirmation.
