Midwives urged to say 'chestfeed' around transgender patients

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Guidance for staff at an NHS Trust also suggests using the term “birthing parents” instead of mother or father. Getting the wrong ­gender “may inadvertently cause harm,” it says. Brighton


and Sussex University Hospitals is altering its website, leaflets, ­­letters and emails to cater for transgender and non-binary patients. It will refer to maternity services as “perinatal


­services” and suggests calling ­calling breast milk “human ­milk or chest milk”. The document states: “Some people may refer to their ‘chest’ and ‘chestfeeding’ rather than their ‘breasts’


and ‘breastfeeding’.” It adds that staff can use the term woman, but should use more inclusive ­language such as “people” and says: “As midwives and birth workers, we focus on improving


access and health outcomes for marginalised and disadvantaged groups. “Women are frequently disadvantaged in healthcare, as are trans and non-binary people.” Campaign group TransActual said:


“Let’s hope many more trusts follow suit.” Carolyn Morrice, Brighton and Sussex Hospitals’ Chief Nurse, said: “Changing the ­language we use in this way is something people who use our


services have been asking for, for ­some time. “Our aim will always be to treat everyone who uses our services as an individual, ­providing care that is personal to them, that meets their


needs and using language they are comfortable with.”