Other Trying to get signatures for a petition.

[The Mad Queen]

Archived Petition: Open an urgent enquiry into NHS transgender-related healthcare

NHS gender identity clinics (GICs), set up to provide specialist care to transgender people in the UK, often fail to meet the needs of service users by means of prohibitively long waiting lists (frequently exceeding three years), ill-trained GPs, and medical gatekeeping.

petition.parliament.uk

From the link:
NHS gender identity clinics (GICs), set up to provide specialist care to transgender people in the UK, often fail to meet the needs of service users by means of prohibitively long waiting lists (frequently exceeding three years), ill-trained GPs, and medical gatekeeping.

-More details
A referral to every GIC in the UK results in a wait of between 12 and 48 months before even the first appointment - well beyond the 18-week target set by NHS England - and even here treatment is not guaranteed; as many service users report receiving no help. Many GPs are often inadequately trained to deal with their needs and refer trans patients to mental health services instead.

Trans patients in England face 'soul destroying' wait for treatment | Transgender | The Guardian

Patients face unprepared GPs and long consultation waiting lists, the Guardian reveals

amp.theguardian.com

I am incredibly lucky in that I am somewhat able to afford my healthcare. Many others are not so lucky. I doubt this petition will create much change but it will at least bring this issue to light and maybe raise awareness.

 

[Abendrot]

I'm not a UK citizen. Are they gonna come after me if I lie? Is there still something more I can do to help?

 

[The Mad Queen]

I'm not a UK citizen. Are they gonna come after me if I lie? Is there still something more I can do to help?

You can still sign if you aren't a UK citizen I believe.

 

[Idea]

So I'm trying to understand what exactly the petition is for? After reading the article it seems to me like the problems in question are:
A) The waiting list is far longer than expected

B) There is insufficient training in dealing with transgender people and their issues

Without going into the whole can of worms of what such training would even be, what goals does the petition hope to achieve, concretely? I'll probably also look up whether these facilities have any overlap with non-transgender medical issues, but I'll also add that to my list of questions.

Edit: So after looking it up for a bit, it seems the people in question are generaly practitioners at the nacional health service, and later mixed in the gender identity clinics. One thing I'm struggling to find though is the "why" of the whole issue, specifically why the waiting is so much longer than what was predicted.

 

[The Mad Queen]

So I'm trying to understand what exactly the petition is for? After reading the article it seems to me like the problems in question are:
A) The waiting list is far longer than expected

B) There is insufficient training in dealing with transgender people and their issues

It's not just a lack of training, but due to a lack of funding the NHS is forced to adopt a policy of almost pure gatekeeping. Basically they turn people away first and help them second. Unless you show up in heavy makeup in the girliest dress you can find good luck getting approved for therapy, let alone HRT as a trans woman. Otherwise "You're not trying hard enough."

And the waiting lists are beyond ridiculous. I'm not talking two years to start HRT, but just to see a specialist who will probably just turn you down anyway.

Without going into the whole can of worms of what such training would even be, what goals does the petition hope to achieve, concretely? I'll probably also look up whether these facilities have any overlap with non-transgender medical issues, but I'll also add that to my list of questions.

Either to actually fund this area of the NHS (on the totem pole of funding, gender identity, mental health and infertility get squat in terms of funding) or at the very least to raise awareness of how bad it is. I doubt the petition will fix anything so I'm sharing it as more of a "see how bad things are" thing.
If it reaches the goal and gets debated in parliament it at least gets the word out.

 

[Idea]

It's not just a lack of training, but due to a lack of funding the NHS is forced to adopt a policy of almost pure gatekeeping. Basically they turn people away first and help them second. Unless you show up in heavy makeup in the girliest dress you can find good luck getting approved for therapy, let alone HRT as a trans woman. Otherwise "You're not trying hard enough."

And the waiting lists are beyond ridiculous. I'm not talking two years to start HRT, but just to see a specialist who will probably just turn you down anyway.



Either to actually fund this area of the NHS (on the totem pole of funding, gender identity, mental health and infertility get squat in terms of funding) or at the very least to raise awareness of how bad it is. I doubt the petition will fix anything so I'm sharing it as more of a "see how bad things are" thing.
If it reaches the goal and gets debated in parliament it at least gets the word out.

So after as much digging as I'm reasonably willing to do on this subject, the only cause for the issue brought up seems to be a sudden surge in the demand for these services. Considering the petition pertains to a public service- thus funding for it would always take away from other public services- and how the urgent cases seem to mostly consist of people I wouldn't agree to allow to transition either way (minors), plus the possibility of other unintended consequences, I don't think I can sign such a petition. I do think the petition has good intentions but from a practical standpoint would probably end up doing more harm than good.

I hope this won't be taken the wrong way. Best of luck.

 

[The Mad Queen]

So after as much digging as I'm reasonably willing to do on this subject, the only cause for the issue brought up seems to be a sudden surge in the demand for these services. Considering the petition pertains to a public service- thus funding for it would always take away from other public services- and how the urgent cases seem to mostly consist of people I wouldn't agree to allow to transition either way (minors), plus the possibility of other unintended consequences, I don't think I can sign such a petition. I do think the petition has good intentions but from a practical standpoint would probably end up doing more harm than good.

I hope this won't be taken the wrong way. Best of luck.

Nobody is allowing minors to transition, that's illegal. What actually happens in the case of minors (and very rarely) is minor blockers so that they don't experience some aspects of puberty. Removing these blockers simply allows the puberty to continue as normal.
Maybe you should research the NHS as well. From 2010 it has suffered major cutbacks due to austerity that has actually harmed the UK economy. As a result they had to pick and choose what areas to fund.

Mental health services are nonexistent in some areas of the UK, leading to a higher suicide rate. Infertility services may exist in name only, elderly care has become a joke and gender identity services have collapsed. Like I said, this isn't two years to receive blockers or HRT. This is two years to see a specialist who does not see you as a human being in need of possible help but as a part of a budget. In some areas of the UK the wait is longer than two years.
The Northern Ireland clinic has not seen a new patient in over a year.

Simple google searches of trusted sources would have cleared this up.

 

[Idea]

Nobody is allowing minors to transition, that's illegal. What actually happens in the case of minors (and very rarely) is minor blockers so that they don't experience some aspects of puberty. Removing these blockers simply allows the puberty to continue as normal.

But from what I understand this castrates the person, am I wrong? It seems to me like the damage done is still permanent.

Maybe you should research the NHS as well. From 2010 it has suffered major cutbacks due to austerity that has actually harmed the UK economy. As a result they had to pick and choose what areas to fund.

Mental health services are nonexistent in some areas of the UK, leading to a higher suicide rate. Infertility may exist in name only, elderly care has become a joke and gender identity services have collapsed. Like I said, this isn't two years to receive blockers or HRT. This is two years to see a specialist who does not see you as a human being in need of possible help but as a part of a budget.

Well, I can't say much since I'm not an expert...but if there have been cuts and certain areas given priority, rather than certain people not being seen as human, that seems more to me as a prioritizing of problems. Cold? Sure, but it's the kind of decisions a public service has to be make to remain minimally operational. Either way the problem remains the same, if there are insufficient funds, those funds have to come from somewhere.

 

[The Mad Queen]

But from what I understand this castrates the person, am I wrong? It seems to me like the damage done is still permanent.

Medically transitioning does render someone infertile but puberty blockers is a different, and non-permanent process.

Well, I can't say much since I'm not an expert...but if there have been cuts and certain areas given priority, rather than certain people not being seen as human, that seems more to me as a prioritizing of problems. Cold? Sure, but it's the kind of decisions a public service has to be make to remain minimally operational. Either way the problem remains the same, if there are insufficient funds, those funds have to come from somewhere.

If you're the one seeking help for the likes of infertility, mental health or gender identity you are not treated as a human being by whatever specialist you get to see (if you get to see one to begin with, that is).
NHS wouldn't even have to make these decisions if it wasn't for the austerity.

 

[Idea]

Medically transitioning does render someone infertile but puberty blockers is a different, and non-permanent process.

Mhmm... Well, it seems there are pretty contradicting sources on the matter, so I'll take your word for it on that. I may reconsider my position on the petition. I won't guarantee it- but I'll think it over (again) at least.

Again, best of luck!

 

[The Mad Queen]

Mhmm... Well, it seems there are pretty contradicting sources on the matter, so I'll take your word for it on that. I may reconsider my position on the petition. I won't guarantee it- but I'll think it over (again) at least.

Again, best of luck!

Puberty blockers are kind of an iffy subject in a lot of areas to be fair so finding factual information is kinda like a needle in a haystack.
People scream about letting minors transition at the mere mention of them most of the time.

NHS very rarely hands them out though. Even less so than they offer HRT.
e: There are side effects to puberty blockers but nothing as severe nor permanent as actual HRT.

HRT itself is a difficult process so I don't recommend it unless you are 100% sure. At the very least the permanent effects don't set in for a few months so you can come off HRT and should go back to normal within a few months.

 

[Idea]

Puberty blockers are kind of an iffy subject in a lot of areas to be fair so finding factual information is kinda like a needle in a haystack.
People scream about letting minors transition at the mere mention of them most of the time.

NHS very rarely hands them out though. Even less so than they offer HRT.

I’m about to go to bed so I can’t research right now, mind if I ask what HRT stands for?

 

[The Mad Queen]

I’m about to go to bed so I can’t research right now, mind if I ask what HRT stands for?

Hormone Replacement Therapy.
It is introducing or rather balancing the estrogen and testosterone in someone to meet the levels of a biological woman or man.
Takes years and in fact you have to take medication till you die, granted in smaller doses as time goes on.

For women it's easier as the medication is not only easier to take but also easier to find. Women going through menopause might have to have a small level of HRT so there is already a market for Estrogen pills and strips. Makes it easier if you go private like I did.

Men on the other hand have to take testosterone. A lot harder to find unless the NHS provides it. Normally the testosterone has to be injected.

Sometimes HRT involves blockers if hormone levels cannot be balanced. These are similar to the puberty blockers I mentioned, but in a larger dose.

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

petitions are worthless and they change nothing

 

[The Mad Queen]

petitions are worthless and they change nothing

Some manage to get actual change done and if they fail, at the very least some awareness was raised for the issue.

 

[Phantom Thief of Hearts]

I understand how important this is for you, but I'm not sure how to feel about taking this issue to an RP website.