Sharon says - All of this is very good news, but their figures seem very low, I suspect that there are more than they are saying! The original document is dated 30 June 2014

We are very proud of the quality of care we provide to our gender reassignment patients and of the outcomes and benefits of this life-changing surgery. Our gender reassignment service is commissioned by NHS England to provide the majority of male to female reassignment surgery in England. There has been a steady increase over recent years in the number of referrals of patients (who have undergone the required psychological assessment) for this specialist surgery.

This year, the service is undergoing some changes. The service employs two gender reassignment surgeons. One of these, Mr James Bellringer, resigned from the Trust in April. To replace him we have appointed Ms Tina Rashid who will start performing gender reassignment surgery in September this year, as well as other work within the urology department. This transition has led to a temporary reduction in the number of cases we are carrying out. We recognise the impact of these changes on patients and are taking action to address this -

Our new gender reassignment surgeon, Ms Rashid, will start performing gender reassignment operations in September

• As well as this, we hope to then be able to undertake extra surgical lists to ensure patients are seen as quickly as possible
• As a temporary measure, we are referring a small number of patients who have waited longer than others to a private provider
• We are considering the appointment of a third surgeon to increase our capacity for this service and we will be discussing this with NHS England
• We are looking at how we communicate news about the service to patients to ensure we keep you up to date
• We believe that these steps will lead to a more robust, sustainable service with a greater number of surgeons than we have previously had. Our service is complex, requiring input from specialist nurses, surgeons and our partners at gender identity clinics, so we are working hard to ensure we carefully build up our service to provide the very best care for all our patients, both now and in the future.

Our surgeons

Mr Phil Thomas

Consultant surgeon in urology Mr Phil Thomas qualified at St Thomas’s Hospital in 1981 and was awarded the FRCS (Urol) Gold Medal in 1992. He was trained in reconstructive urology by Professor Mundy in Guy’s Hospital, and in male to female gender reassignment by an international expert Mr Mike Royle . He took up his post as a gender reassignment surgeon at Charing Cross Hospital in 2000. He has also been a surgeon at The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton since 1995 where he provides reconstructive surgery treating severe incontinence, urethral stricture disease and bladder cancer. He is one of the most experienced gender surgeons internationally, carrying out two operations a week at Charing Cross Hospital and two in Brighton.

Miss Tina Rashid

Miss Tina Rashid is a fellowship trained reconstructive and female urological surgeon. During her training on the North West Thames urology rotation, she worked at hospitals including Hillingdon Hospital, Watford General Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital and University College London Hospital. Prior to her appointment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, she undertook fellowships in female and reconstructive surgery at Leicester General Hospital and Leuven University Hospital (Belgium). Ms Rashid was awarded the FRCS (Urol) Gold Medal in 2012. During her training at Charing Cross Hospital she worked under the mentorship of Mr Phil Thomas and Mr James Bellringer and to date has performed 34 vaginoplasties. She is currently working with Mr Thomas to get to know our service and patients before starting surgical lists in September 2014, when she will perform one gender reassignment surgery a week, moving to two a week in October 2014.

Frequently asked questions

How does the gender reassignment process work?

Patients who wish to explore this option are referred by their GP to a gender identity clinic (GIC), run by a separate mental health trust. Many of our patients attend the GIC run by West London Mental Health Trust, which is located near Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith. GICs undertake an intensive process of psychological and psychiatric assessment which lasts at least a year, following the patient’s change of social gender role. Once the patient has been recommended for gender reassignment surgery and funding has been confirmed, we arrange an outpatient appointment, check it is clinically safe to perform the surgery, and then book surgical and other procedures. West London Mental Health Trust has published some frequently asked questions about this process on its website which may be helpful.

How many gender reassignment operations do you perform a week?

We currently carry out two gender reassignment operations a week, compared with an average of three and a half operations a week before April this year. In September 2014 we will be carrying out three operations per week, and in October 2014 we will be carrying out four.

How many gender reassignment operations do you carry out a year?

We carried out 178 gender reassignment operations in 2013/14, 143 in 2012/13 and 132 in 2011/12.

How long is the wait for gender reassignment surgery?

Individual patient waits vary according to the needs of the patient – for example, some patients need some months of electrolysis treatment before they are ready for surgery. Currently the average wait for the surgery is just under a year from the point at which funding is confirmed. In 2013 the equivalent wait was 10 months and in 2012 the equivalent wait was eight to nine months.

How many patients are waiting for gender reassignment surgery?

There are currently 279 patients approved for this surgery. This time last year in 2013/14 there were 190 approved patients, and this time in 2012/13 there were 133 approved patients.

What is the 18 week referral to treatment target and does it apply to this procedure?

It is a target set by the government which means that hospitals should aim to start the treatment of 95% of their patients within 18 weeks of their GP referral to us. It applies to many, but not all, NHS treatments. Because the gender reassignment process is complex and involves psychiatric assessment as well as surgical treatment, the 18 week referral to treatment target does not apply to these surgical procedures.

Can I go to a private hospital for my surgery?

The GICs may only make referrals to providers contracted by NHS England. GICs can also make referrals for self paying patients who wish to fund their own treatment.

Why have you sent some of your patients to a private provider?

During this time of transition in our service, we have agreed to pay for a small number of our patients who have waited longer than others, since being assessed as clinically safe for surgery. So far, we have referred 16 of our patients to a private provider.

Do you treat any surgical repairs needed after gender reassignment surgery has been carried out?

Surgical repairs are occasionally required. Patients needing repairs are put on the waiting list once they have had consultation with the surgeon and have agreed the surgical procedure required. Currently our gender reassignment surgeon Mr Phil Thomas is seeing these patients.

How many referrals do you get from GICs?

Referral numbers change month by month. For example, in April 2014, we had 12 referrals. In May 2014 we had 25 referrals. By year, in 2013/14 we had 300 referrals, 275 in 2012/13, and 195 in 2011/12.

What are you doing about the increase in numbers of referrals?

We are considering the appointment of a third surgeon to increase our capacity for this service and we will be discussing this with NHS England.

How can I get more information?

Manjit Takhar and Leena Anthony are our two gender clinical nurse specialists, and Nida Malik is our gender service co-ordinator. She can be contacted on 0208 483 2866, Monday to Thursday, 9am - 5pm.

Source - http://www.imperial.nhs.uk/aboutus/news/news_044629