A Norfolk hospital has been accused of spreading “unscientific nonsense” by a local MP after publishing maternity information that referred to “women and people who are pregnant” rather than exclusively using the word women.
James Paget Hospital in Gorleston-on-Sea faced a furious online backlash following a social media post about new self-referral procedures for its maternity unit. The announcement triggered such an onslaught of criticism that the hospital eventually disabled comments to stem the flow of complaints from members of the public.
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe led the attack on the hospital’s language choices, posting a scathing comment beneath the Facebook announcement. “This is absolute garbage. ‘Women and people who are pregnant’. MEN DO NOT GET PREGNANT. Delete this. I have contacted the chief exec demanding a clarification,” the Great Yarmouth MP wrote.
The controversy erupted after the hospital’s September 30 post stated: “We’ve created a new way for women and people who are pregnant to refer themselves into our maternity services. The hospital now has a self-referral form on its website where people can refer themselves for maternity care at the James Paget.”
The post went on to refer to “the person who is making the referral” but contained no further references to women specifically, prompting accusations that the hospital was erasing biological reality in pursuit of ideological goals.
Members of the public flooded the comments section with criticism before the hospital took the decision to disable responses. One person wrote: “Only women can become pregnant. That right of birth and motherhood belongs to women, only. Remove this utter nonsense.”
Another questioned: “Who trusts a hospital that doesn’t know that only women get pregnant?” whilst a third asked: “Out of curiosity, James Paget Hospital, who else apart from a woman can biologically get pregnant? Serious question I’m asking about your post.”
Other comments included accusations of “wokiness at its finest” and demands to “stop this unscientific nonsense now”, reflecting widespread public frustration with what critics view as the erosion of biological terminology in healthcare settings.
Lowe escalated his criticism in a subsequent statement, condemning what he described as misplaced priorities by hospital leadership. “The James Paget is failing the people of Great Yarmouth,” the Reform MP declared.
“I have total respect for the frontline staff working for patients, but the leadership needs to re-evaluate its priorities,” he continued. “Men do not get pregnant. Obviously. I pushed the hospital leadership to reflect this undeniable biological fact in its communication to residents, and they refused.”
The MP branded the hospital’s language choices as “woke hogwash” that must be “eradicated from our language”, arguing it degrades women as “the only people who can actually get pregnant”.
“James Paget leadership needs to focus on treating patients in a timely and effective manner, moving away from this unscientific nonsense,” Lowe added, suggesting the hospital’s attention to inclusive language represents a distraction from core healthcare responsibilities.
This is not the first time James Paget Hospital has courted controversy over gender-related language and policies. Last year, the institution was dubbed “the hospital which does not understand childbirth” after producing a document stating that babies were not “born male or female” but were instead “assigned female/male at birth”.
That earlier incident sparked similar outrage amongst those who argue such terminology denies biological reality and potentially confuses patients about fundamental aspects of human reproduction and development.
The hospital has also faced criticism for displaying the Progress flag, an expanded version of the rainbow pride flag that incorporates colours from the transgender flag. Critics contend this symbol promotes gender ideology and undermines women’s sex-based rights whilst potentially encouraging children to believe they were born in the wrong body.
Despite the sustained criticism, hospital management has defended its use of inclusive language. Dr Shane Gordon, executive managing director of James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, insisted the controversial terminology ensures respect for all patients.
“We use the terminology ‘pregnant people’ – alongside women – because it acknowledges and is inclusive towards the people who use our services who do not identify as being a woman, and are pregnant,” Dr Gordon explained.
He emphasised the hospital’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. “We are proud to be a diverse organisation and we will continue to respect and care for all patients that use services at our hospital,” the executive stated.
The hospital’s position reflects guidance from some healthcare organisations and LGBT advocacy groups that argue inclusive language ensures transgender men and non-binary individuals who retain female reproductive systems feel welcome accessing maternity services.
However, opponents argue such terminology causes confusion for the vast majority of patients, potentially leading vulnerable women to miss important health information. Critics also contend that erasing the word “women” from maternity contexts represents a form of discrimination against females.
The debate reflects broader tensions within the NHS and wider society about balancing inclusive language for transgender and non-binary individuals against clarity of communication and the rights of women as a distinct biological category.
Women’s rights campaigners have increasingly voiced concern that well-intentioned efforts at inclusion have resulted in the erasure of sex-specific language in contexts where biological sex remains medically relevant, such as pregnancy, cervical screening, and menopause care.
The James Paget Hospital controversy is likely to intensify national discussions about appropriate language in healthcare settings, particularly as the incoming government has signalled a willingness to review NHS policies on gender identity and terminology.
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