Helpful link. You can give it to your GP or print of a copy.

http://www.transgenderzon[...]ses.pdf


• waiting times for psychiatric assessment and treatment have
been very long in the past but will be reduced to 18 weeks, at
least for new cases, from December 2007;
• currently, it is possible for service-users, sometimes with the
help of their MPs and the trans support groups, to prevent
unwarranted delays, to challenge refusals to fund certain
treatments and even to shorten waiting times;
• GPs can play a highly important role in obtaining proper
treatment and there is information available to them which
would help them to take on this responsibility;
• there is no bar on mixing private and NHS treatment. However,
service-users should be aware that there may be difficulties in
doing so; and
• there are several avenues via which service-users can complain,
if their treatment is denied or unduly delayed. more..........................

9. How long will I have to wait for treatment?
All commissioning bodies and health care practitioners, whether
in private practice or the NHS, should also be aware that
unnecessary, non-clinical delay in administering hormones or
moving to the surgical stage of treatment could result in legal
challenge.2
The 18 week NHS target, from when you see your GP to when you
receive specialist treatment at a GIC, applies to gender dysphoria
from December 2007. Previously, as for other conditions that are
categorised as mental illnesses and subject to tertiary referrals, there
was no waiting time target. In fact, the wait was typically at least six
months for the first appointment and then for each follow-up
appointment at a GIC. A large part of the wait for a first appointment
was usually accounted for by the time it took for the GIC to obtain
confirmation that the PCT would fund it.
However, from December 2007, the 18 week target will apply to
tertiary referrals for psychiatric and hormonal treatment. That will be
a major improvement. The GICs will be under great pressure to meet
the target. At least one of the major GICs has already begun to
increase staffing in order to reduce its waiting times.
At present, the GICs have too few psychiatrists or psychologists to be
able to offer more frequent appointments for assessment which
would be necessary if waiting times are to be reduced. They may also
be unable to offer additional appointments for psychotherapy.
According to the international standards of care, these would help to
confirm the service-user’s readiness to start hormonal medication
2 Parliamentary Forum on Transsexualism, Guidance for Health Organisations
Commissioning Treatment for Gender Dysphoria and Transsexualism, 2005,

http://www.gires.org.uk.
NHS FUNDING PROCESSES AND WAITING TIMES FOR ADULT SERVICE-USERS