The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Trying to determine the health needs and prevalence of problems for LGBT patients in the UK has seemingly led to a totally disgraceful position that doctors should routinely ask – and record answers to – questions about patients’ sexual orientation.
Stephen Adams reports:
Every patient visiting their family doctor or attending a hospital appointment in England will be asked to declare if they are gay, straight or bisexual under controversial new rules imposed by the NHS.
The astonishing diktat – condemned last night as ‘intrusive’ and ‘insulting’ – orders doctors to include details of a patient’s sexuality on their permanent medical record for the first time.
An official NHS directive, seen by The Mail on Sunday, reveals that from April 2019 all patients aged 16 or over will face questioning about their sexual identity.
NHS England last night refused to give details about how the highly personal information will be collected – leading to fears patients could be quizzed by GPs, nurses and even receptionists.
Read more on The Daily Mail.
Here is the new directive from NHS.
Note that although this blogger is appalled by this, the gay community in the UK is reportedly pleased as punch by this development.