Trans youth ‘waiting more than six years for first NHS gender service appointment’

Trans people could be waiting more than six years for a first appointment with NHS youth gender services, a new report has revealed.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request regarding the state of NHS gender youth services in England and Wales found more than 5,600 young people are on the waiting list. Meanwhile, the Children and Young People’s Gender Service (CYPGS) saw just eight new patients between April and July of this year.

The report, shared by Anne Health, showed that, at the current rate, trans young people could face a 308-week wait before a first appointment, with an average of 10 new referrals being added each month.

The FOI request also revealed a new policy which removes patients from the referral list once they are three months shy of their 18th birthday. Patients taken off the list are expected to restart the referral process through adult services.

“For many, this could mean waiting many more years for an appointment with the already overburdened adult services,” the report reads. “By delaying care well into their twenties, the NHS is severely failing a whole generation of trans youth and young adults.”

Increased concerns over the state of healthcare for trans youngsters come while the government implements recommendations made in the controversial Cass Report.

The review, which was published in April after several years of research, made upwards of 32 recommendations to restructure the way in which transgender youngsters receive care in England.

However, recommendations in an interim report, suggesting a “fundamentally different” model of care, are already proving difficult to implement, while others have been criticised.

Whistle-blowers working in newly opened regional hubs across England have claimed that the clinics are “nowhere near ready,” noting the lack of experience of several clinicians and “messy” processes in place.

“We’re going from a single-service model to a no-service model,” one whistle-blower said.

As part of its report, Anne Health called for an immediate review into the model of care by CYPGS, as well as increased funding to “expand capacity and hire more knowledgeable gender-affirming staff”.

The report also called on the government to reform transitional policies so that 17-year-old patients aren’t forced to restart the referral process, and emphasised the need for “transparency and accountability”.

It goes on to say: “Trans youth deserve better. It’s time for policy-makers and healthcare providers to listen and act to ensure that no young person has to wait years to access the care they need and deserve.”

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