In terms of improving the medical aid available to trans people in the UK, most
important is creating much shorter waiting lists. This can be done through numerous
avenues: by recruiting more clinicians into the gender identity sector to increase clinic
capacity, considering the disparity between the number of referrals, and the first
appointments per month: 327 referrals - 50 first appointments, which means that waiting
lists are only going to get larger unless the issue is addressed. Decentralising the clinics to
spread more of the care across more of the country (Wales most importantly, which
currently has none), is another avenue, and would follow on from how the NHS very recently
decided to close GIDS to be replaced with ‘regional healthcare centres’, intended to provide
more attentive and comprehensive care. 64 Digital software such as Zoom could also be used
to attend appointments virtually, not only increasing national coverage, but also allowing
more appointments to take place per day. Lastly, waiting time metrics, like those based upon
the referral to treatment standards for elective procedures and cancer would incentivise
greater accountability and performance within the clinics. 65
64 Rebecca Thomas, ‘Failing children's gender service to be replaced by local hubs’, The Independent [online] (28 July 2022) <https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/nhs-tavistock-children-gender-clinic-safety- b2133170.html> [Accessed 09/01/2023] 65 ‘Why are members of the trans community waiting up to five years f or a first appointment at a Gender Identity Clinic?’, The PCS [online] (8th June 2021) <https://thepsc.co.uk/news-insights/entry/why-are- members-of-the-trans-community-waiting-up-to-five-years-for-a-first-appointment-at-a-gender-identity- clinic/> [Accessed 12/01/2023]
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