Transgender campaigners warn long waits on NHS puts lives at risk
People are waiting nearly two years for early stages of gender reassignment surgery
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Transgender campaigners have warned that lives are at risk as more and more people wait years for early stages of gender reassignment surgery on the NHS.
Three years ago, ITV found that there were around 4,000 adults on the waiting list for the seven Gender Identity Clinics in the country with waits of up to eight months.
But now, people are facing waits of up to two years and 74-year-old Isobel Jeffery – who came out as transgender in 2016 – has an 18 month wait for hormone treatment and surgery to complete her treatment but said time is not on her side.
She told ITV: “All my life I have felt female and suppressed it. But now our time is running out with age, and I want to spend whatever time I’ve got left as what I am: female.
“I have grave worries about what will happen if I don’t. Three times in my life I’ve considered suicide.”
Now, the Proud Trust charity for young LGBT+ people, have raised concerns that the long waits are increasing mental health issues and suicidal thoughts.
Sam Cresswell, a transgender youth worker based in Manchester, said: “The long waiting times are such a problem because young people are suffering now – not in two years’ time – and they really need support now.
“It makes so much more sense to spend money here in a stitch-in-time prevention model, so these young people can grow up happy and healthy and actually be constructive adults that are contributing to society.”
Many concerns have also been raised about people turning to unprescribed hormone medication over the internet as a way to speed up their transition.
Jenny-Anne Bishop, chair of Transforum Manhcester, said: “They’re taking dangerous drugs without often knowing what they’re doing.
“There’s an awful lot of misinformation around: a lot of people think if you double the dose, you go twice as fast.
“At least two of my friends died from too high a level of oestrogen, which can cause heart problems.”
An NHS England spokesperson said: “Demand for gender identity services continues to rise as more people feel able to come forward for support and treatment.
“NHS England has provided important funding for these services and staff are working hard to reduce waiting times for patients.”