Ministers are failing the LGBT community by ignoring calls to boost basic healthcare access for trans people, a senior Tory MP has said.
Maria Miller, chair of the Commons’ women and equalities committee, said the government had narrowly focused on proposed legal reforms to self-ID while trans people were left struggling to access vital health checks such as smear tests.
Proposals to update the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), which could allow trans people to legally self-declare their gender, have sparked controversy.
But Miller, a former cabinet minister, said the GRA consultation had “eclipsed” a call by her committee three years ago to improve public services for trans people.
“Many trans people simply don’t have access to the basic healthcare that the rest of us take for granted - things like cervical smears are often things that trans men are not able to access,” she said.
″(The provision of services) seems to have somewhat been eclipsed by an announcement by the government on the GRA - that was one of our recommendations, but only one of 33.”
Miller said the focus on the legislation was “wrongheaded”, instead arguing for provision of services to be given greater attention.
She said: “There has been very little headway made on that and indeed even on the area the government has announced its interest - the GRA - there has been very little concrete proposals put forward over the last three years, and I think that has left a vacuum which has been unhelpful.”
She went on: “And as a result there has been a debate focusing in on things that really are not as important as making sure that trans people have access to public services, and the debate has been focused in on issues that are much less important to trans people’s lives.
“I think they have mishandled their approach to trans issues and if they were actually looking carefully at my select committee report they would have focused in on the provision of services first to make sure that that was right.
“Those are the issues that really matter to trans people’s lives, and then look at the review of the GRA - that was not the most pressing issue for trans people that we met as part of the inquiry.”
The reforms to self-ID have sparked controversy, with some women concerned that there could be a threat to single-sex services.
Miller said that the government should do more to reassure those women, adding: “My advice to ministers is that they should focus in on getting their services right first and foremost, and also be clear that there is no threat to single-sex services, they are clearly protected in law and they need to be clearer on that.”
Laura Russell, head of policy for the campaigning LGBT charity Stonewall UK, said research carried out by the organisation in 2018 found 41% of healthcare staff lacked understanding of specific trans health needs.
She added: “Building better healthcare services for trans people is part of a broader range of issues that need to be addressed to improve trans people’s lives.
“Crucial to achieving broader equality is the reform of the GRA, and we look forward to working with the government to make this a reality.”
A government spokeswoman said ministers had an “ambitious LGBT action plan” which had £4.5m funding to boost healthcare access.
She said: “This includes improving the way gender identity services work for transgender adults and appointing a national adviser to lead improvements in LGBT healthcare. Since November, we have also launched the LGBT Health and Social Care Fund, which will provide £1m to tackle the health inequalities LGBT people face.
“Everyone in this country should feel safe, supported and happy to live their lives – and this includes accessing appropriate support and treatment from the NHS as and when they need it, regardless of their sexual orientation, race or gender identity.”