Labour activists have criticised Wes Streeting after the Shadow Health Minister said trans patients should not stay in single-sex NHS wards.
Streeting, who has vowed to reform the NHS should Labour win the next general election, was even accused of being a “transphobe”.
Mixed-sex wards have been banned in the NHS since 2010.
However, existing rules which are under review mean that anyone who identifies as the opposite sex can be placed in the ward of their choice.
Wes Streeting was blasted by pro-trans Labour activists
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The Ilford North MP said: “There's still tens of thousands of patients on mixed-sex wards.
“And what did we get from the former health secretary at the Conservative Party conference?
“His big announcement was to say, 'we've got a problem with trans people on female only wards', but I don't think we've seen anything in your report that says that's the issue here.”
When pressed on a potential spending splurge for single-sex wards, Streeting argued: “This has got to be a priority as it concerns patient safety and it should not be beyond the realms of possibility to have wards for women, wards for men, and also suitable, safe accommodation for trans people.”
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A general view of staff on a NHS hospital wardPAHe added: “The best thing is to protect the dignity of trans people and also to maintain the integrity of single-sex spaces is to make sure we've got single-sex wards.”
However, a number of Labour activists slammed the Shadow Health Secretary.
Alexis Chilvers, co-chair of Labour For Trans Rights, said: “He's a transphobe and we don't want him anywhere near us.”
Fellow co-chair Alex Charilaou added: “This is an absolutely disgraceful comment, pandering to a minority of bigots - be in no doubt that trans Labour members will not stand for it.”
Wes Streeting has pushed for reform of the NHS
PALabour activist Owen Hooper also argued: “To entertain the narrative that all trans people are dangerous and need their own spaces to keep people safe is vile.
“I would ask Wes where all these single sex wards are going to go in our hospitals that are full to capacity?”
Trans journalist India Willoughby even appeared to question whether Streeting was supportive of the LGBT+ cause.
The commentator said: “It’s pure culture wars rubbish. Unfortunately, my impression is that despite being a gay man, Wes Streeting is not pro-trans or LGBT.”
Sir Keir Starmer spoke about trans issues on Monday
PAHowever, Streeting has been a vocal supporter of the LGBT+ community, including in his opposition conversion therapy which he described as “abusive and harmful”.
Labour sources said Streeting meant trans patients could be accommodated in the single-bed rooms that many hospitals now have.
Streeting also accused his Conservative counterparts of using trans patients as a “scapegoat” just after Sir Keir Starmer condemned conversion therapy.
The Leader of the Opposition said on Monday: “We fully support the view that conversion therapy is psychologically damaging abuse.”
Addressing concerns about hate crimes committed against members of the trans community, Starmer added: “We'll strengthen the law, so every category of hate crime is treated as an aggravated offence.”
