JK Rowling offers to bankroll female NHS patients and staff who take legal action to protect same-sex spaces

Published: 23:52, 9 August 2026 | Updated: 23:52, 9 August 2026 JK Rowling has offered to fund female NHS patients and staff who take legal action over biological males being allowed into women-only spaces. The Harry Potter author acted after one health trust said transgender women can continue to use female wards, toilets, showers and changing rooms for now. The move by the Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) came despite the introduction of a new statutory code on single-sex spaces. Ms Rowling wrote on X: 'Then the lawsuits will keep coming. Should any female patient or member of staff require funding to fight this assault on their legal rights, apply to jkrwf.org.' That refers to the JK Rowling Women's Fund, the private legal fund which she established last year. Her intervention came after the trust, which covers Staffordshire and Shropshire, told employees there would be 'no immediate changes' to its policies following the introduction of the revised statutory code. Under MPFT's current policies, patients may access single-sex facilities, including hospital wards, according to their gender identity rather than biological sex. Male staff who identify as women can also use female toilets, showers and changing rooms. The Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) revised code came into force last week, nearly 16 months after the Supreme Court ruled that the words 'woman', 'man' and 'sex' in the Equality Act refer to biological sex. British author and screenwriter JK Rowling arrives at the UK premiere of Fantastic Beasts the Crimes of Grindelwald Actors Rupert Grint, Author JK Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson at the premiere for the first Harry Potter film Reform UK Spokesperson for Education, Skills and Equality, Suella Braverman arrives at Millbank Tower The code says single-sex services must be provided on the basis of biological sex and warns that admitting members of the opposite sex may make them mixed-sex in law.  It also says employers should provide separate toilets, washing facilities and changing rooms for men and women in accordance with workplace regulations. Former home secretary Suella Braverman accused the trust of breaking the law and called on the Department of Health and Social Care and the EHRC to take action. The Reform MP wrote on X: 'This is a scandal.' Ms Rowling's latest intervention is the third public offer she has made to back legal action involving women's sex-based rights in as many weeks. In July, she offered financial backing to women's organisations blacklisted as 'anti-rights' in a report by human rights charity Amnesty International UK – including Beira's Place, the female-only sexual violence support service Ms Rowling founded. The report has since been withdrawn and a public apology issued. She also offered to help Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland with its legal costs after a Belfast arts festival cancelled an event it had organised following complaints about the group's views on sex and gender. The author established the JK Rowling Women's Fund last year to support women pursuing legal cases involving sex-based rights and workplace discrimination. Maya Forstater of campaign group Sex Matters said her support had been 'game-changing' for women seeking justice after losing jobs or access to female-only sports and services.  She said: 'Rowling is sending a message to institutions that they cannot continue to break the law and ride roughshod over women's rights with impunity.' Ms Rowling's financial backing of legal action has attracted criticism from trans-rights campaigners, with Amnesty International UK's withdrawn report raising concerns about wealthy individuals funding litigation challenging trans-inclusive policies. The MPFT said it accepted the Supreme Court judgment and was reviewing policies while awaiting further guidance from NHS England.