The NHS has been accused of 'pandering to nonsense' after figures revealed that nearly 500 women were admitted to hospitals for conditions associated with male health, including prostate and penis problems. Data for the year to March 2024 showed that 263 women were treated for hyperplasia of the prostate, a non-cancerous enlargement that does not occur in biological women, as they do not have prostates.
Additionally, 85 women were treated for prostate cancer and 48 for 'disorders of male genitals' at hospitals in England and Wales. The figures have sparked criticism from Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, who said it was 'nonsense' that the NHS was pandering to the idea that women could suffer from conditions experienced only by biological men.
Under NHS rules, anyone can request to change the gender on their health records without undergoing any form of gender reassignment treatment. When a person changes their gender, they are given a new NHS number. The NHS stated that the statistics report the gender registered by patients, which includes trans women, with further patient details included in their health records.
