A school health nurse has claimed “not all people who have babies might call themselves a she or a woman or a mum”, speaking on a podcast sponsored by the NHS.
Tikki Harrold made the comments on an episode of School Nursing Uncovered titled “Gender identity – what are the facts?”.
Recalling when she was asked to “review a teenage pregnancy document” by colleagues working in “health visiting”, Ms Harrold said: “Some of their language was incredibly gendered”, but added it’s “not because they’re deliberately ignoring the fact that actually not all people who have babies might call themselves a she or a woman or a mum. It’s just that they don’t know.”
Asked if there are examples of cases where things don’t go so well for “young people who are gender questioning”, Harrold said: “There was one who actually ended up in child protection planning because the parents were so unaccepting that it was having such a significant impact on this young person’s mental wellbeing.”
She added: “Actually, it ended quite tragically with the attempt on their life which has resulted in significant long-term disabilities.”
Ms Harrold – who describes herself as “based in a school in Oxford City” – says “walking through school in a skirt and make-up, and letting your hair grow, when actually people previously knew you as a boy, that’s incredibly brave, and they’re not people who are a risk to the rest of the school population”.
‘Ideological capture’
The podcast’s target audience and presenters are school nurses. The series is run by the Digital Health Transformation Service at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and the School and Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA).
Speaking about the podcast, Lucy Marsh from the Family Education Trust, said: “This displays complete ideological capture and a worrying lack of safeguarding knowledge within the school nursing community.”
Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns for Sex Matters, told The Telegraph: “It is irresponsible for anyone working with children to promote a suicide narrative in connection with gender distress. The government adviser on suicide, Prof Louis Appleby, has said this practice should stop.”
A spokesman from Oxford Health NHS Trust: “Tikki Harrold is very clear in the podcast that it is the professional role of school nurses to respond to the needs of young people in the context of their culture and values. This is an area which is new and evolving with respect to trans issues, but the role of all nurses is to help, not harm.”
In a shared statement, LPT and SAPHNA said: “The School Nursing Uncovered podcast is a collaboration between Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust’s digital health transformation service and SAPHNA (School and Public Health Nurses Association).
“The podcast was created by school nurses across the NHS, for fellow school nurses to discuss the challenges and issues affecting children, young people and families, celebrating their huge value and impact in supporting their health and wellbeing.”
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
