NHS says it absolutely recognises need for revised single-sex guidance

The NHS has said it recognises the need to revise guidance on single-sex staff spaces after an employment tribunal in Darlington found nurses had been subjected to harassment, and it is waiting for statutory guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission before changing policy.

The NHS in England has said it recognises the need to revise guidance on single-sex staff spaces following a Darlington employment tribunal ruling. The tribunal found that nurses had been subjected to harassment related to the trust's accommodation arrangements. An NHS spokesman said officials are working through the implications of higher court rulings and will await statutory guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission before making final policy decisions. The EHRC's updated draft code requires ministerial approval and would come into force 40 days after being laid in Parliament. Key facts: - An employment tribunal in Darlington found that the trust's arrangements for changing facilities subjected the nurses to harassment that violated their dignity. - The NHS has said it "absolutely recognises the need" for revised guidance and is reviewing the tribunal judgment while liaising with the Government. - The Equality and Human Rights Commission is expected to publish statutory guidance and its draft code needs ministerial approval before it would take effect. Summary: The tribunal ruling has increased attention on how single-sex staff spaces are managed and on the need for clearer, consistent guidance across the NHS. Next steps include the NHS reviewing the judgment and awaiting the EHRC's statutory guidance and any subsequent ministerial action to lay the draft code in Parliament.