Gender Clinic Wait Times Higher in England than Internationally
By Ross Sewell
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Waiting periods for specialised Gender Identity Clinics (GICs) show that England is falling behind Scotland and other specialised public Gender clinics internationally.
These clinics provide access to broader healthcare to transgender and other gender diverse patients. These services include counselling, access to hormone therapy and speech/language therapy.
Waiting times for England are averaging just under 19 months, with Scotland lower at 11.5 months.
In February 2016, NHS England promised to reduce waiting times to waiting time to 18 weeks (4.5 Months) by 2018. In the same year, a recommendation was made to the Charing Cross GIC from the Care Quality Commission to ensure that patients are assessed within 18 weeks.
Analysis of the Leeds GIC waiting times (below) show that waiting times have steadily reduced, with a total reduction of about 40% since the 2016 promise.
In order to reach the 18 weeks standard, the Leeds GIC would have to reduce their current waiting times by another 38%.
The international standards for the care of transgender patients shifted in 2011 removing the requirement of psychotherapy for the prescription of hormones to transgender people.
This has allowed for an "informed consent" model for access hormone therapy, with scholars highlighting that it shows promise in "alleviating barriers to accessing treatment " as well as the possibility for experience of transgender patients to emerge outside of the "distress narrative".
Despite moral panic, Associate Professor Michelle Telfer, acting President of the Australian and New Zealand Professional Association for Transgender Health said very few patients regretted undergoing the hormone treatment, with a regret rate as low as 0.4-0.6%.
The NHS reports that psychotherapy is not mandatory for patients seeking medical treatment, but the "informed consent" model has not been enacted in the UK, according to community sources.
It is possible that further adoption of the "informed consent" model of care would help alleviate the barriers that many face.
"Under the Informed Consent Model of care, transgender individuals may be encouraged, but not required, to seek services from a qualified mental health practitioner" - Sarah L. Schulz Google Sites
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