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Waiting times with the Gender Identity Clinic

Posted By transfemby

"Waiting times with the Gender Identity Clinic"

About: Highly Specialist Services / Gender Identity Service (GIS)

(as a service user),

I got my first letter being referred to the GIC, I am now on the waiting list. When I first considered being referred to a GIC the waiting list was a little over 3 years, that was only a few months ago. Now, the waiting list is 3 years and 8 months, in a few months I would not be surprised if the waiting list was 4 years.

This needs to change. More and more people are on these waiting lists, but the facilities, staff and resources are not being increased to meet this demand. It is my opinion that people can die on these waiting lists, not being given the treatment they need.

There needs to be systematic change. It's clear that waiting so long for certain things is unnecessary. Initial assessment appointments can be done much sooner, administered through a GP. GPs can also monitor and prescribe hormone treatments much sooner. Gender confirmation surgeries would require specialist attention and treatment, so it's understandable for that wait. I feel that this system is inherently flawed and is designed poorly, where a lot of these things could be done outside of this almost 4 year long waiting list.

Consider systematic change for these gender identity clinics, for the life and wellbeing of trans people in the UK. I beg you.

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Responses

Response from Katie Roe, Business and Performance Manager, Gender Identity Clinic, SHSC 2 years ago
Katie Roe
Business and Performance Manager, Gender Identity Clinic,
SHSC

Submitted on 11/05/2021 at 13:31
Published on Care Opinion on 12/05/2021 at 08:11

Dear Transfemby,

We are sorry to hear about your frustrations. We sincerely appreciate that the waiting is very difficult for you and others waiting to be seen. There are many factors that have had a negative impact on the waiting times resulting in an increase in waiting times.

Undoubtedly Covid has and continues to impact on our ability to maintain a normal service provision and we are striving to balance patient and staff safety with the need to meet clinical demand while delivering a clinically safe service for when people do access the pathway.

We have for some time had relatively high levels of staff sickness (which also predates Covid). This further compounds our ability to meet service demand. As you will appreciate Gender services are a very specialist area staff sickness is not easily covered as in many services as the specialist staff are not readily available.

We, as all other gender clinics have received a significant increase in referrals year on year which has increased the waiting times.

It is really difficult for us to predict the duration of wait for people already on the waiting list as we receive a high number of referrals from the young people' s clinic (GIDS), many of whom have yet to be assessed at the point of transition (age 18). We have to treat those people in the same way we would everyone else, so we honour their initial referral date. In effect this adds to the wait duration for some other people.

We are aware this is difficult and very frustrating. Please be aware we are looking at how the service operates to maximise its resource to be focussed on individuals accessing the service although do not have any immediate solutions. We are also looking at how we improve communication with people waiting and are currently working on the information provided on the Sheffield Gender Service webpage.

We wanted to make you aware that you can receive support whilst you are waiting for access to the service:

The service has recently partnered with a trans-led, confidential and independent service to provide help, support and reassurance to patients waiting for their first appointment with us. This is delivered by Gendered Intelligence – an organisation which is committed to improving the lives of trans people. Their contact details are –

Tel: 0330 3559 678

Message/WhatsApp: 07592 650496

Email: supportline@genderedintelligence.co.uk

You can also make contact with Helen Goodson our Peer Support Worker who can listen and offer guidance while you are waiting. Helen is not a trained counsellor, but has lots of experience in supporting people during their pathway. To get in touch with Helen you can email via porterbrooksupport@shsc.nhs.uk and she will come back to you as soon as you are available.

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback and we hope the response above addresses your concern.

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