Rules for single-sex spaces come into force: what they mean for the NHS 

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By Adele Waters

The Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) new guidance on how to implement UK equality law have finally come into force.

Doctors.net.uk examines what this means for the NHS – including the impact on toilets, changing rooms and wards.

This article was initially published in May, when the EHRC, which covers England, Scotland and Wales, published the new code of practice in draft form. It was the first time the code was updated in more than a decade.

What is the new guidance?

The guidance is a code of practice that aims to help public bodies and services understand their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and help them comply. It offers "practical and sensible" decisions for every day scenarios, such as in offering toilet provision.

Britain’s equalities regulator has stressed that the code does not create new legal obligations, but provides services with legally accurate, impartial and up-to-date guidance on existing law.