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Care Opinion

Lack of support

Posted By capellabr66

"Lack of support"

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

(as a service user),

I learned via Pink News that NHS England have stopped lower surgery for trans men due to bureaucracy.

I contacted various places to ask what was going on and if I could access any mental health support through this ordeal. I contacted my GIC (Sheffield) who said they also learned about it via Pink News. I contacted GDNRSS who were totally unhelpful and basically told me that they couldn't give me any information because it was all confidential. I contacted St Peter's andrology who perform the surgery and they were more helpful but told me they were bound by confidentiality because of NHS England. All places told me that there is no mental health support put in place. It is almost impossible to get mental health support via a GP. Everywhere just passes the buck to another place in an endless circle.

I am now faced with the possibility of an interminable wait (even longer than the years-long wait I already expected) or perhaps even having to somehow self-fund (I do not have the money for this) for the second half of an operation that I would not have embarked on if I knew I could be left stuck with half a penis after going through the first half of an operation that was already an ordeal.

NHS England is totally failing in its duty of care to too many people.  I hope that someone reads this and actually considers doing something because this situation is absolutely monstrous and disgraceful and it would never be allowed to happen to cis men.

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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 02/07/2021 at 16:11
Published on Care Opinion at 16:33

Dear capellabr66,

We are really sorry to hear that you feel hopeless and disrespected and we understand that Mr Christopher and his team in St Peter’s Andrology have made or are making contact directly with individuals to explain the situation and hopefully provide an update.

We really appreciate how frustrated you must feel at this moment in time and we encourage you to contact your Named Professional here in clinic. If you wish to access support from your Named Professional please make contact either by emailing porterbrook@shsc.nhs.uk or phoning me, and I will arrange for one of the Named Professionals to contact you to have a chat and provide some additional support to you.

In addition to the Named Professional support, the service has recently partnered with Gendered Intelligence who you can contact for confidential and independent support with how you are feeling currently. Please find their details below.

Contact details

Tel: 0330 3559 678 Message/WhatsApp: 07592 650 496 Email: supportline@genderedintelligence.co.uk

This service can be contacted on Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 7pm and Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 3pm. Contacts made outside of these hours will be picked up and responded to as soon as possible. Please do make use of this service to discuss any concerns or queries you may have ahead of your first appointment.

Yours sincerely

Katie Roe on behalf of Sheffield Gender Dysphoria Clinic

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