What are patients asked on the NHS England registration form?
The NHS England registration form asks patients about sex as it is recorded on their NHS record. This information reflects the patient’s current NHS record, rather than their gender identity.
The NHS England National Registration Form includes the following question:
"What is your sex as recorded on your NHS record?"
Patients can select
Female
Intersex
Male
Not specific or known.
Below is an image showing how the "What is your sex as recorded on your NHS record?" question appears on the NHS England National Registration Form 👇.
What are patients asked on the Healthtech-1 Local Form?
The Healthtech-1 Local Form is a separate follow-on form completed after the NHS England registration form. It allows practices to collect additional, optional information locally.
The Local Form includes the question:
“What is your sexual orientation?”
Patients can select one of the following options:
Heterosexual or straight
Lesbian
Gay
Bisexual
Other sexual orientation not listed
Not sure or undecided
Prefer not to say
Information not known
Below is an image showing how the “What is your sexual orientation?” question appears on the Local Form 👇.
What is the process for registering a gender reassignment?
Patients aged 18 and over can request a change to the gender recorded on their medical record at any time.
Patients do not need to have undergone any gender-affirming treatment
Requests should always be handled sensitively and confidentially
PCSE process for gender reassignment
In most cases, the PCSE process involves:
Issuing the patient with a new NHS number
Registering the patient as a new patient at the practice
Transferring all previous medical information into the new medical record
Removing (blanking) the previous NHS number and gender marker
Changing gender without a new NHS number
In some cases, a patient may choose to change their gender marker without changing their NHS number.
This must:
Be discussed with the patient
Be clearly documented
It is advisable for the patient to sign a simple confirmation form, which should be:
Added to the patient’s record
Retained, as historic records may still display the patient’s sex recorded at birth
Further guidance and next steps
Full guidance is available from PCSE on registering gender reassignment here.
If you need to request a new NHS number, submit a new PCSE case for gender reassignment.