Thousands of adults are waiting up to eight years for their first appointment at adult gender dysphoria clinics in England. The government launches a pilot to provide mental health and community-based support while a full review is underway
In England, adults seeking gender dysphoria services are enduring waits of up to eight years just for their first appointment. Reports show that over 5,000 people in the South West alone are on waiting lists that have been nearly a decade long, with many more across the country facing similarly long delays.
In response, the government has introduced a comprehensive wellbeing pilot scheme, offering digital mental health support, community services, and enhanced information for those waiting. The government has also pledged an independent review into the adult gender dysphoria clinics, demonstrating its commitment to understanding and tackling the crisis.
Long waiting lists mean worsened mental health for transgender people
In the last five years, the NHS has doubled investment into gender dysphoria services, opening five new clinics, yet waiting times at one gender clinic in the South West are around eight years, with over 5,000 people in the region waiting for an appointment.
Evidence shows that transgender people have higher rates of mental health conditions, including depression, which longer waiting times risk exacerbating.
However, the government has backed a new pilot with £125,000 in funding to provide those on waiting lists with access to mental health support and information before their appointments. This pilot, announced at the NHS England LGBT+ Health Annual Conference in London, represents a significant step towards providing the LGBT+ community with much-needed support.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “It is fundamentally wrong that so many LGBT+ people still face challenges when accessing healthcare – including barriers such as discrimination, misunderstanding, and miseducation.
The result is that LGBT+ patients face longer waits, have poorer experiences of healthcare, and suffer from high rates of mental ill health.
This pilot marks a significant step – acknowledging the unacceptable waits endured by thousands of transgender patients and starting to tackle it head-on.
A review into adult services
NHS England is currently conducting a review into the operation and delivery of the adult gender dysphoria clinics, following concerns raised by Dr Hilary Cass, who led the Cass Review into gender services, about adult services.
Dr David Levy, who is leading this review, is supported by a team of experts. This review examines how services operate, their effectiveness for patients, areas of concern, and the actions being taken to improve them. It will discuss best practices that can be shared with other clinics and identify any additional support that should be made available.
