The NHS has sparked fury by refusing to set out a timeline for implementing new guidance protecting single-sex spaces. NHS England said it would publish its own policies and guidance on single-sex spaces ‘shortly’ but the delay was today dismissed as ‘insulting’ to patients and staff. Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at sex-based rights charity Sex Matters, said: ‘The NHS has a duty to act now. Health secretary Yvette Cooper insisted in an interview on Times Radio that the NHS would follow the law when implementing single-sex provision. An NHS spokesperson said: ‘The NHS will publish approved new guidance for the health service on single-sex accommodation shortly, in line with other public sector bodies.