I ran across these figures in an article. If there is only funding for one SRS a week at Charing Cross, the largest TG clinic in the world, no wonder you girls end up waiting for so long for appointments:

"Charing Cross Hospital, which has the largest sex-change clinic in Europe, carries out approximately one sex change operation a week. However, if funding increases, that number could rise to three a week: the demand is there."

Wendy.....that doesnt suprise me one BIT about Charing Cross. I saw my psych mid april & he refered me to Charing cross & i STILL haven't heard a thing! To be honest the whole things peed me off but i guess i just gotta be patient a while longer but not MUCH longer....i hope!

Love & xxxxxxxx
Anna-Marie

Not sure where that article came from but it seems at first glimpse to be a bit of an over-simplification. NHS funding for a patient’s needs comes from their local Primary Care Trust, not from Charing Cross itself. There was a legal case a few years ago involving 2 separate TS’s, near where I live as it happens, where the claim was made that funding was effectively being denied for TS treatment due to it being classed as “low priority”. The PCT in question lost the case, and as a result PCT’s across the country tread on very thin ice if they don’t provide funding without undue delay, in accordance with the treatment protocols at Charing Cross or any of the other gender clinics here. One could of course be cynical and suggest that such protocols are intentionally drawn out to slow the drain on NHS funding…
I think it’s fair to say that the NHS are notoriously slow in virtually anything they do, so one must be prepared for this if you’re going to go down that road, often the only road available given the huge cost of SRS and all transition-related expenses.
So, Anna-Marie and anyone else waiting for an appointment: don’t get peed off, just be prepared for a long wait. It was 8 months after first seeing my GP when I finally got an appointment at CX, and about 6 months after my actual referral from the local psycho. That’s about average, so don’t expect anything in the post just yet Anna-Marie!
I’ve had 2 appointments at CX now and they have been very decent towards me so far, though I’m still not entirely convinced that will always be the case, especially since I am planning on funding my own SRS in Thailand. They ought to be pleased really, but I can’t help thinking they will be slightly hurt by the implication that their version of SRS is not good enough!
Perhaps suffice to say, that Health Service provisions world-wide, where applicable, have plenty of room for improvement.

Lucy,

I'll try to find the source of that quote for you.

In fact, I get govt. funded care (county) and the delays are similar. I waited years to be seen in Urology clinic and on the morning of my appointment, they called and cancelled because of a plumbing leak (their's, not mine__). It was eight months before I got my replacement appointment for their cancellation. Now that I am "in the system", follow-up appointments take about four to six weeks and I had no problem getting them to test my testosterone levels for me.

A plumbing leak - oh what wonderful irony! Nice one babe.
xx

It took you THAT long to hear from C X did it Lucy?? It Just puzzled me when my Psych said it could be 2 months before i heard from them so i just took him at his word & i just had no idea it would take that long. But Like i've said before, i'm in this for as long as it takes so i aint goin nowhere....even if it does take that long to get my appt. I have waited this long, so a few more months won't hurt.


Love & xxxxxxxxxx
Anna-Marie

Well, most of you know my story but having finally been told that the wait to first appointment at Nottingham was in excess of a year from referral I called CX who told me that was disgusting and that they could offer me 4-5 weeks (yes I did tell them my PCT was Lancashire lol). I immediately called my shrink and asked him to re refer me to CX. 10 days later and CX have sent me the reg. forms so it could be that they were being true

I've been refered to Leeds which I've been told isn't the best and the wait can be quite long, so 8 months is prolly quite short for me.

Shytina, I don't know your story, please feel free to email me: [email protected]