NHS midwives protest Epic software’s gender identity forms for newborns

Midwives across several NHS trusts are raising concerns over new electronic forms that record newborns’ gender identity instead of biological sex. The issue stems from a £450 million software upgrade using the Epic system, which has sparked criticism from medical staff and campaigners alike.

The forms, described by one midwife as 'farcical', no longer include an option to record a baby’s biological sex—only legal sex, sex assigned at birth, and gender identity. Staff fear the changes could affect medical records that follow children for life, including birth certificates.

The controversy first emerged at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, where a midwife called the new documentation 'ludicrous'. She warned that colleagues were worried but reluctant to challenge managers over the changes. The forms, she explained, serve as the 'backbone of documentation' for newborns, shaping records that will be used throughout their lives.

Similar problems were reported earlier at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College Hospital in London. Both trusts use the Epic system, which has been rolled out in at least ten NHS trusts so far. The software appears to have embedded options influenced by trans rights activism, according to critics. NHS bosses previously claimed a 'system error' was to blame and promised updates to ensure only biological sex would be recorded. However, the latest incidents suggest the issue persists. Dr. Renee Hoenderkamp, in a recent opinion piece, accused the NHS of being 'captive to trans ideology' and forcing it onto newborns. Professor Alice Sullivan has now urged the government to step in. She argued that the NHS should not purchase software promoting a specific political ideology instead of collecting accurate medical data. Women’s rights campaigners have echoed these concerns, questioning why gender identity is being prioritised over biological facts in medical records.

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between medical accuracy and ideological influences in NHS record-keeping. With the Epic system already in place across multiple trusts, staff and experts are calling for clearer guidelines. The outcome will determine how newborns’ biological data is documented—and whether political considerations continue to shape medical practice.