Patients will be able to request same sex wards under strengthened NHS guidance

The UK government is proposing changes to healthcare laws allowing patients to request same-sex wards and staff. The policy update will also introduce “Martha’s rule,” giving families the right to request a second opinion on critical care admissions, named after a 13-year-old girl who died from sepsis after hospital staff failed to move her to intensive care despite family warnings. The proposed changes come on the back of reports of record-breaking instances of mixed-sex accommodations on wards. Critics urge the NHS to avoid becoming embroiled in “culture wars” debates.