NHS patients to be asked about sexuality

Health professionals in England are to be told to ask patients aged 16 or over about their sexual orientation, under new NHS guidelines. NHS England said no-one would be forced to answer the question but recording the data would ensure that "No patient is discriminated against". She said the information would help NHS bodies comply with equality legislation by "Consistently collecting, only where relevant, personal details of patients such as race, sex and sexual orientation." NHS England recommends health professionals - such as GPs and nurses - ask about a person's sexual orientation at "Every face to face contact with the patient, where no record of this data already exists". Under the guidance, health professionals are to ask patients: "Which of the following options best describes how you think of yourself?".

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