The number of trans people seeking treatment in the UK has risen drastically.
There have been repeated warnings in the past few years that NHS gender identity• One’s innermost concept of self as male or female or both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different than the sex assigned at birth. Individuals are conscious of this between the ages 18 months and 3 years. Most people develop a gender identity that matches their biological sex. For some, however, their gender identity is different from their biological or assigned sex. Some of these individuals choose to socially, hormonally and/or surgically change their sex to more fully match their gender identity.
• The gender to which one feels one belongs.
• Internal and psychological sense of oneself as a woman, a man, both, in between, or neither.
services are struggling to keep up with a surge in demand across a range of services.
Parliament’s Women and Equalities Select Committee sounded the alarm in January as waiting lists exceed legal limits across a range of services, while the Care Quality Commission has warned of unacceptable backlogs at the Gender Identity Clinic at London’s Charing Cross Hospital – with some patients waiting more than a year for an appointment.
The Guardian reports today that the number of people seeking referrals to the 14 Gender Identity• One’s innermost concept of self as male or female or both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different than the sex assigned at birth. Individuals are conscious of this between the ages 18 months and 3 years. Most people develop a gender identity that matches their biological sex. For some, however, their gender identity is different from their biological or assigned sex. Some of these individuals choose to socially, hormonally and/or surgically change their sex to more fully match their gender identity.
• The gender to which one feels one belongs.
• Internal and psychological sense of oneself as a woman, a man, both, in between, or neither.
Clinics across the UK has surged exponentially in some areas.
Under data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the newspaper found that all the services have seen a boom in patient referrals in the past 10 years.
Nottingham’s GIC saw the most marked growth, with a 2800% increase from 30 referrals in 2008 to 850 in 2015. More than 1000 are expected this year.
It was far from alone, with the Laurels clinic in Exeter – which was forced to apologise after a data leak last year – seeing a 2000% increase in referrals over a decade, while Sheffield has also seen referrals serge from single figures to several hundreds.
Louie Stafford of the LGBTAcronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans people; GLBT Foundation warned that as backlogs for appointments grow, trans• Trans is an umbrella term used to describe people whose lives appear to conflict with the gender norms of society. Whether this is in their clothing, in presenting themselves or undergoing hormone treatment and surgery. Being trans does not imply any specific sexual orientation.
• Trans is an umbrella term that describes a wide range of people whose gender and/or gender expression differ from their assigned sex and/or the societal and cultural expectations of their assigned sex; includes people who are androgyne, agender, bigender, butch, CAFAB, CAMAB, cross-dresser, drag king, drag queen, femme, FTM, gender creative, gender fluid, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, gender variant, MTF, pangender, questioning, trans, trans man, trans woman, transfeminine, transgender, transmasucline, transsexual, and two-spirit.
people face a wait of several years with little support.
The campaigner said: “You’re referred from your GP, there is no contact with any specialists or clinicians until your first appointment at the gender identity• One’s innermost concept of self as male or female or both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different than the sex assigned at birth. Individuals are conscious of this between the ages 18 months and 3 years. Most people develop a gender identity that matches their biological sex. For some, however, their gender identity is different from their biological or assigned sex. Some of these individuals choose to socially, hormonally and/or surgically change their sex to more fully match their gender identity.
• The gender to which one feels one belongs.
• Internal and psychological sense of oneself as a woman, a man, both, in between, or neither.
clinic.”
“People are completely on their own, sometimes for up to three years, dealing with issues around gender• However gender is far more complicated. It is the complex interrelationship between an individual’s sex (gender biology), one’s internal sense of self as male, female, both or neither (gender identity) as well as one’s outward presentations and behaviours (gender expression) related to that perception, including their gender role. Together, the intersection of these three dimensions produces one’s authentic sense of gender, both in how people experience their own gender as well as how others perceive it.
• Gender is expressed in terms of masculinity and femininity. It is largely culturally determined and is assigned at birth based on the sex of the individual. It affects how people perceive themselves and how they expect others to behave.
• Socially and culturally constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and trans people.
that are potentially life-threatening… it’s not surprising that people get desperate in that timeframe.”
“You can throw all the money you want at a service, but unless you have people who are trained and skilled to work in those areas, you’re not going to improve capacity.”
Last year, a separate report found there were 2744 patients on waiting lists for gender treatment – which means that even if no more referrals are made, the existing backlog would take over a year to clear.
However, patient referrals have instead continued to increase without a corresponding increase in capacity – which means transgender• Sometimes used as an umbrella to describe anyone whose identity or behaviour falls outside of stereotypical gender norms. More narrowly defined, it refers to an individual whose gender identity does not match their assigned birth gender. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation (attraction to people of a specific gender). Therefore, transgender people may additionally identify with a variety of other sexual identities as well.
• An umbrella term used to include transsexual people, transvestites and cross-dressers, as in “the transgender community.”
• This is an umbrella term that applies to anyone who does not feel that their gender identity (e.g., identifying as male, female, or other) matches their anatomical/bio- logical sex.
• An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression differs from that of their sex assigned at birth. Transgender people may or may not alter their bodies to better fit with their gender identity through means such as hormones or surgery. Some intersex people identify as transgender but the two are not the same. Identities such as transsexual or transvestite are distinct sub-categories of transgender and should not be used as synonyms. Should only be used as an adjective e.g. ‘transgender people’. The word “Transgendered” is used by some people but its use is discouraged.
people face the prospect of years stuck on waiting lists before seeing a doctor.
Under the forecasts, all GICs will have waiting lists in excess of a year by March 2017 – while those referred to the Northern Region Gender Dysphoria• An anxiety, uncertainty or persistently uncomfortable feelings experienced by an individual about their assigned gender which is in conflict with their internal gender identity.
• Gender dysphoria is a medical condition in which a person has been assigned one gender at birth but identifies as another gender, or does not conform to the gender role society ascribes to them. Gender dysphoria is not related to sexual orientation. Gender dysphoria has replaced gender identity disorder as the word disorder is seen as stigmatising.
• A person with gender dysphoria can experience anxiety, uncertainty or persistently uncomfortable feelings about their gender assigned at birth. This dysphoria may lead to a fear of expressing their feelings or of rejection and in some cases deep anxiety or chronic depression. It is effectively treated using methods such as counselling, hormone replacement therapy, surgery or simply social transition.
• Distress resulting from a difference between a person’s gender and the person’s assigned sex, associated gender role, and/or primary and secondary sex characteristics.
Service Newcastle could have a wait of twelve and a half years unless capacity expands
It would also leave patients referred to the Leeds GIC with a projected wait of 5 years 11 months, and patients referred to the Northamptonshire Gender Dysphoria• An anxiety, uncertainty or persistently uncomfortable feelings experienced by an individual about their assigned gender which is in conflict with their internal gender identity.
• Gender dysphoria is a medical condition in which a person has been assigned one gender at birth but identifies as another gender, or does not conform to the gender role society ascribes to them. Gender dysphoria is not related to sexual orientation. Gender dysphoria has replaced gender identity disorder as the word disorder is seen as stigmatising.
• A person with gender dysphoria can experience anxiety, uncertainty or persistently uncomfortable feelings about their gender assigned at birth. This dysphoria may lead to a fear of expressing their feelings or of rejection and in some cases deep anxiety or chronic depression. It is effectively treated using methods such as counselling, hormone replacement therapy, surgery or simply social transition.
• Distress resulting from a difference between a person’s gender and the person’s assigned sex, associated gender role, and/or primary and secondary sex characteristics.
Service with a projected wait of 7 years and 4 months.
The statutory NHS target waiting time is 18 weeks.
© 2016 PinkNews