I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and research recently about the gender clinic waiting times and the service that they provide and why i’ve decided to take matters into my own hands and forge ahead without the help of the NHS.
Yes, folks. I haven’t burdened the NHS with my transition. I’ve paid for everything.
As many of you will know I’m on the waiting list to see the gender clinic and was referred by my GP in early 2020. The particular gender clinic I was referred to is currently seeing people who were referred in 2018 which means the likelihood of me being seen by the gender clinic before 2025 is highly unlikely.
The waiting list for gender clinics is also getting longer and longer every year and some people may think that there are more and more people being referred but this isn’t true and if it was its only part of the story.
The way the gender clinic works is there not just seeing a person once and then passing them onto to another person within the NHS, the aim is to build a rapport with the patient before recommending what course of treatment they require. Be this projection from the service, hormone replacement therapy or even surgery.
Time between the first appointment and the second appointment maybe many many months.
This means that processing of patients is extremely slow, more so if the referred patient is under the age of 18.
However, anyone under the age of 18 is usually referred to a specialist clinic.
And the service is about to be put under more pressure…
The system is about to be put under more pressure as this specialist clinic for children is due to close this year, 2023.
The reasons sighted for its closure is as follows:
“An independent review condemned the clinic as “not a safe or viable long-term option” because its interventions are based on poor evidence and its model of care leaves young people “at considerable risk” of poor mental health. The clinic must close by Spring 2023.”
More information about this closure can be found at this website: UK Shuts down worlds biggest gender clinic for kids.
In reality the closure of this clinic is just going to put more stress on the other clinics who will be required to take up the slack of this now closing clinic.
There are supposed to be three new clinics built but as yet, nothing.
This is just my personal opinion, but I would love to know what goes on in the psyche of NHS management that close parts of its service when the standard of care falls below that which is required instead of fixing this failure within that service?
Perhaps somebody can tell me why?
So, we have a service in which waiting lists exceed the 18 weeks set out by the NHS, clinics not fit for purpose, clinics closing and their replacements nowhere to be seen plus a government whose anti trans rhetoric and policies mean services aren’t going to get better anytime soon.
Some might even say the Tories policies towards the trans community might even be more aligned with those of a German government of the 1930’s and 40’s!
So, the choice of whether to wait for the NHS and its failing level of care or go private is one you need to consider.
Going private costs roughly £100 per month (this includes prescription charges) whereas going to the NHS would no doubt cost me my sanity and my mental health.
The dealings I have had with the NHS so far have all been negative and dealing with my GP has been an absolute nightmare.
The private service I use by comparison is helpful, attentive, and available to discuss and answer questions.
My GP took over 2 years to change my name on my records despite many requests to do so.
I have no issues recommending my private health care provider, but my GPs would not work with them. This situation is slightly better but not even remotely helpful.
Other things to think about is your prescriptions as a private clinic will prescribe after consultations whereas the NHS will not prescribe until you have seen the specialists at their clinics which might be 4/5 years away.
CAN YOU AFFORD TO WAIT THIS LONG?
I am not saying the NHS route isn’t good, I have fuck all experience of it because of waiting times but I have friends who have good experiences. By contrast the majority of my trans friends have used a private service at some point in their transition.
I’ve made my mind up to start on the private clinic route until the NHS deems it time for me to be seen by the NHS consultant. By which time I will probably be 4 to 5 years further down the road than if I had just waited to solely see the NHS!
As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for!
You seriously need to weight up the pros and cons and if you think the NHS is the way you need to go, go that way. Otherwise, do you go with a commercial clinic?
The choice is yours….
Give me your thoughts in the comments section below.