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The nurse told the woman patient: “I’m not male, I’m transsexual” when she complained about the issue. The patient decided not to go ahead with the smear test and complained to the NHS. She told The Sunday Times that the nurse “had an obviously male appearance, close-cropped hair, a male facial appearance and voice, large number of tattoos and facial stubble”.

GETTY The awkward situation happened in a clinic in North London

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I’m not male, I’m transsexual Nurse

The NHS apologised after the patient complained. She said: “It was weird where somebody says to you: My gender is not male and you think ‘Well what does that even mean? You are clearly a man’”. The equalities minister and education secretary, Justine Greening, is currently considering proposals that would allow people to change their gender legally even without a doctor’s diagnosis.

The incident happened at a clinic in North West London NHS Foundation on September 16 last year. When the patient complained, she said she had asked for a female nurse when she booked the appointment.

GETTY Justine Greening is considering allowing people to change their gender without a doctor's diagosis

She said: “People who are not comfortable about this are presented as bigots and this is kind of how I was made to feel about it”. Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust said: “We apologised to this patient for the recording error and because the staff member accepted they didn’t manage the situation appropriately or professionally; the patient needed to feel listened to.