I know I haven’t written about my gender journey for quite some time but this is something those wishing to pursue a gender change on their medical records need to be aware of as it might cause you problems and that’s changing your NHS medical number.
On the 23rd November my primary care provider, which is now Cheshire and Merseyside Gender Identity Clinic requested that the gender marker be changed on my medical records to Ms.
Grea, I hear most of you cry.
Yes, great but it has caused me a massive issue in December and January when I went to get bloody tests done.
My prescribing clinic, Gender GP, sent a request to my doctor’s on 23rd December, who then put a request into the NHS. This was rejected because I did not have an active NHS number.
My NHS number was in limbo land.
My doctors tell me because I haven’t had a new NHS number they cannot check my bloods until a new NHS number has been assigned.
I don’t know where the numbers are assigned from or if my doctors are telling the truth anymore as I really don’t believe a word they say these days.
They also told me they can’t use my old NHS number and that I need to wait for the new number to be generated by the NHS system.
I am being told this while I am stood in the reception area of my doctors surgery and the receptionist is getting really agitated because I am questioning this time and time again and she is definitely trying to get rid of me.
I need a blood test so I can get my prescription drugs but no blood test equals no drugs and I only have 7 days of these left!
Eventually the receptionist gets to the point where she asks me to leave and I refuse and ask to speak to the practise manager. She calls the practise manager.
When she arrives, she knows exactly who I am, because I had a full blown meltdown in September last year when they hadn’t actioned my deed poll name change, despite having had several emails and copies of my deed poll hand delivered to reception.
I explain the situation and she agrees with the receptionist that there is nothing they can do.
I explain that yet again I am sat in the surgery dealing with either piss poor management, petty bureaucracy or a failure of their systems.
Again she states I must wait for my new NHS number to come through before I can get a blood test form.
She says she will go speak to the head doctor and see what she can do.
To my surprise she comes back with blood test form with my old NHS number on it.
So if you can do this why am I sitting in reception almost close to tears????
I am honestly shocked at how pathetic the service is. How can they suddenly do something they said just minutes ago could not be done.
I can now go get my bloods done and get my prescription.
To my surprise she texted me not more than a few hours later with my new NHS number!!!
Where did this suddenly come from?
What was I waiting for if they can generate one within a few hours?
If I had not gone into the surgery and made a scene would I still be waiting? Would I now have run out of prescription drugs? Drugs which, by the way, I cannot suddenly stop taking?
So, I have a new NHS number but need to wait for it to become active and all the details from my old NHS record to be carried over, and that’s my doctors job to do.
