Barcelona's Hospital Clínic launches first trans healthcare guide

Hospital Clínic in Barcelona has presented its first-ever 'Guide to Transgender Care in Healthcare Settings', establishing standardized criteria designed to ensure respectful, safe, and non-discriminatory treatment for trans patients. 

The initiative, aligned with Catalonia's LGBTI rights law that came into force in January, aims to address gaps in sensitivity and consistency among healthcare professionals and improve everyday clinical interactions.

The guide provides practical protocols for all hospital staff, including the use of patients' chosen names rather than birth names, guidance on admissions and hospitalization procedures, and strict confidentiality standards. 

It also outlines behaviors to avoid in order to prevent discrimination and ensure inclusive care across departments.

Nurse Rita Pons, who helped develop the document, said staff had long faced uncertainty in handling certain situations, prompting the need for clear, shared guidelines. 

Palliative care physician Débora Moreno added that the objective is both to reduce discrimination and to strengthen awareness, promoting person-centered care that respects identity, privacy, and individual needs.

Among the recommendations are calling patients by their surname in waiting rooms, asking which pronouns they use, and, in cases of hospitalization, allowing patients to express preferences regarding shared rooms rather than assigning them based on gender assumptions.

Trans patient Noa, who participated in the presentation, described the guide as a "real moment of awareness" for healthcare professionals, noting that while her own experiences at the hospital have been positive, the new framework will further improve care.

Noa also argued that the guide's approach does not view the trans experience as "a pathology," but rather is in line with "normalizing" trans people.

The guide has undergone multiple validation stages, including internal review by diversity and equality groups, as well as consultation with trans and non-binary patients and their families during a dedicated healthcare session in March.