Ethics

In a 2004 CMF File Andrew Sims, a former President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, set out at length CMF's position on gender identity disorder. He concluded 'People in the caring professions need to provide compassionate professional support for transsexual people that does not involve any form of deception'. This recognises that a Christian GP in a consultation with a transsexual patient might have an issue of conscience that could affect the way the consultation goes.

If government legislation this week goes through without amendment, such a GP could soon be vulnerable to proceedings being brought against them under discrimination law. New government regulations only became available online last week, but the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Amendment) Regulations 2007 are required to implement the EU Gender Directive which is supposed to be brought into UK law by 21 December. In implementing the Directive the government is arguably infringing religious liberty and is also applying discrimination and harassment laws to transsexual people.

There is a religious exception in the proposed Regulations but it is much too narrow (the EU Directive itself would permit a far broader exemption). A doctor who on genuine conscience or religious grounds is unprepared to endorse the practices of a transsexual patient could be said by them to have created an 'offensive environment' and become liable to legal penalty. For full details and legal comment see the Christian Institute website.

Christian Medical Fellowship urges Peers and MPs discussing and debating these Regulations on Thursday this week, 13 December, to consider the potential pitfalls in practice and their legal implications, and to make the very minor amendments necessary to sustain 'compassionate professional support for transsexual people' while also respecting medical conscience and religious liberty.