A hospital has been accused of peddling ‘woke hogwash’ by an MP after information about its maternity unit referred to ‘women and people who are pregnant’.
James Paget Hospital was also ridiculed by scores of people online following the social media post about a new way for mothers-to-be to refer themselves to the unit.
It eventually switched the comments off to end the onslaught from disbelieving members of the public who accused it of spreading ‘unscientific nonsense’.
The hospital, in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, previously triggered a backlash by urging people not to say infants were ‘born male or female’ as they were assigned their sex at birth.
Staff were also pictured hoisting the Progress flag, which features colours of the transgender flag which critics say promotes gender ideology.
Local MP Rupert Lowe posted a comment below the Facebook post which said: ‘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.’
A member of the public wrote: ‘Only women can become pregnant. That right of birth and motherhood belongs to women, only… Remove this utter nonsense.’
Another said: ‘Who trusts a hospital that doesn’t know that only women get pregnant?’
One person 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 from critics included ‘Wokiness at its finest!’ and ‘Stop this unscientific nonsense now!’
Mr Lowe later added: ‘But Mr Lowe said: ‘The James Paget is failing the people of Great Yarmouth.
‘I have total respect for the frontline staff working for patients, but the leadership needs to re-evaluate its priorities.
‘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.
‘This woke hogwash needs to be eradicated from our language. It is degrading to women, 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.’
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.’
It later refers to the ‘person who is making the referral’ but there is no further reference to ‘women’.
The hospital claims using the phrase ‘people who are pregnant’ avoids excluding biological women who identify as men or non-binary.
But opponents have pointed out that such terminology can cause confusion for patients who may miss important health messages as a result.
Dr Shane Gordon, the executive managing director of James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, insisted the controversial language ensured ‘respect’ for all patients.
He said: ‘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.
‘We are a proud to be a diverse organisation and we will continue to respect and care for all patients that use services at our hospital.’
James Paget was last year dubbed ‘the hospital which does not understand childbirth’ after it produced the document saying babies were not ‘born male or female’ but were ‘assigned female/male at birth’.
Its use of the Progress flag was also opposed. Critics warn it undermines women’s sex-based rights and risks encouraging children to believe they were born in the wrong body.
