Next steps in shaping the future of specialised gender identity services
Much work continues in NHS England to shape the future of specialised gender identity services. We have convened a Programme Board for Gender Identity Services that I chair.
The Board is responsible for making recommendations to the Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group, and its scope and membership can be found on the gender identity services clinical reference group page. The Board’s independent members were appointed through an open recruitment process.
I’m pleased to announce the publication of the report of the independent analysis of responses to our consultation on proposed service specifications. We had significant interest in the consultation – over 800 respondents, and I want to thank everyone who took part either in writing or by attending one of our events.
We are now in the process of forming the final proposals for the service specifications. The Clinical Reference Group for Gender Identity Services received the report in December, and having considered the report, it submitted its final advice on the specifications to NHS England in March. We are considering the CRG’s advice alongside the independent report and individual consultation submissions, with a view to publishing a final version of the specifications in the Spring of 2018.
The quality of the submissions to consultation was high, and has given us a rich source of ideas and proposals to consider. Alongside the process for finalising the service specifications we are also exploring potential models of care and models of delivery, and I will keep you updated by way of this blog.
I will also share with you over the next few months the process for the national procurement of specialist surgical and non-surgical services that is planned for the summer of 2018. We hosted a market engagement event in March for organisations interested in taking part in the procurement, where we described the emerging ambitions for procurement.
I will write again shortly with another update, but in the meantime I will endeavour to answer your questions via this blog as quickly as I can.
Join the conversation #nhsgenderid
James Palmer
James Palmer has been Medical Director for Specialised Services since NHS England’s inception in 2013. He is a member of NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning National Team. He is a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust.
20 comments
Hi James, you say things are moving forward within the specialised services for gender identity care, yet the fact that gender transitioning is 90% social & 10% medical and that there is no acnowlegement that services like voice therapy needs to be intensive,image consultancy to strengthen affirmation of gender, more than just 8 laser hair removal sessions, much less of a stereotypical view of gender presentation from those that judge patients following the care pathway. All I ever hear is about waiting time reduction rather than the giant leap that this service needs in the care pathway. Rather than the care pathway focusing on surgery in terms of judgement of rediness, instead of putting the cart before the hourse, provision of support for the social transition as stated above is needed and can’t be left up to peer support groups (as the WPATH guidlines state the social transition can be psychologically damaging) yet the nhs does nothing to in terms of the services meantioned above.
Hi James
August 2018 is nearly over do you have a revised date for the release/publication after all Clinical Reference Group for Gender Identity Services received the report in December 2017, this delay is causing undue stress to people waiting for Transgender services provided under the NHS. what is the reason for the delay?
sad that you can talk to the BMJ but not to us
Hi James
Could you let us know where things are with this specification?
Within the South of England there are many patients confused and distressed by the lack of any coherent plan for their care, and we are not yet able to offer them any clear answers
Hi,
As the planned publication of specification by “spring” and then “july” have both passed, i take this that this represents yet another delay in this already delayed process.
Could we be advised of the new timeframe?
So, it’s August. What happened to “publishing a final version of the specifications in the Spring of 2018”? Or the plan to “publish the service specifications by July”?
Hi James,
Whilst this service will be commissioned as a specialised service, has there been any thought as to what level of GP input may be required to deliver a seamless service for patients? Will GPs who are currently in a position where they are currently prescribing medication to this group still be responsible for this under the current service specification or will the service itself be picking up the prescribing?
Hello James,
thank you for letting us know that you will be publishing a final version of the specifications in the Spring of 2018.
Since today, 21 June, is the last day of Spring 2018, please could you let us know where the specifications are published?
thank you,
Holly
In October 2017, Prime Minister May said the Government will seek to “streamline and de-medicalise” the process of changing gender to reflect that “being trans is not an illness”.
The law presently states that being trans actually is an illness (Gender Recognition Act(2004) Section 25 Paragraph (1) sixth sentence). It is surely understandable that NHS England acts on a basis of existing law rather than laws HM government proposes to enact. Thus NHS offers treatment for “gender dysphoria” as defined in law.
We all, including NHS, must recognise that medical treatment of people who have already changed legal sex “for all purposes” (GRA2004 9(1) ) is entirely different from the medical treatment of people aspire to change their legal sex, as many patients presenting with a trans condition do. “All purposes” includes medical purposes, something too often overlooked.
And therefore if and when the law on gender recognition is changed as in Ireland (so Mrs. May proposes) the NHS will have to majorly reform its policies on sexual medicine in every trans context.
I hope that partly explains why existing policies are as they are and why there is great hope for the future.
I notice that multiple submissions were accepted from one IP Address. An IP Address is assigned to one individual broadband account by the Internet Service Provider so indicates that one internet account has made multiple submissions. The report states that each submission was different and so in included, however this surface level analysis only indicates that the submissions were not made by a robot it does not rule out one individual seeking to manipulate the the outcome. These submissions should be highlighted in the report as coming from the same IP Address and so likely from one person so that their influence can be assessed before the final report.
Many people who have internet access at home may have several persons wishing to express their views from that ip address. It doesn’t necessarily mean some one has been submitting more than once. In my house there are 5 of us so my IP might appear 5 times as my partner and our kids express their views.Also a university may have several students using a “drop in” computer room and that IP will appear many times.
Hi James ,
Why have we been silently ethnically cleansed?.
I along with a large number from all around the country & other places whom identify similar to myself have been involved in the commissioning process & events for several years.
Given that the GRA was at it’s outset developed & created for TS people.
Why is every other group allowed to be recognised to be having considerations, thoughts etc , yet we are not mentioned once anywhere in your report ?.
I like many others identify has a Transsexual female . It has a very definitive meaning which illuminates that for us it is not a lifestyle choice , for many it is life or death .
The terminology embraces where we have come from & where we are heading or become grounded eventually .
I truly hope it was a genuine oversight & not discrimination by disclusion by you or indeed the way forward by the NHS as a whole .
There is no distinction between TG & TS in the report undermining our credibility & our meaningful transitions.
Harmonie
Although I understand this is to be a ‘specialised commissioning’ review it would be useful to know what GP involvement there is in the CRG.
GPs have had to deal with many reports that decide for GPs what they ‘must do’ without checking what GPs are actually contracted to do.
I had a look at the CRG page and cannot work out whether the CRG has generalist input or not.
Perhaps you could let us know before the Spring gives way to Summer?
I hope notice will be taken of the many gender critical comments you report. A watchful waiting policy should be followed rather than rushing to prescribe medication and surgery to young people. What happens if these people change their minds?
..But if Theresa May says transgender is not an illness.. Why is the NHS offering surgical and cosmetic treatments to healthy-bodied people who are ‘not ill’? If they are ill, in what way are they ill? Does the NHS offer these treatments to all body dysphoric people or is it just ‘gender identity’ you are so concerned about?
Hi James. Very please to see that the consultation has been reviewed and the revised service specification will be amended and published shortly (although ‘Spring 2018’ seems ambitious – you’ve only got two weeks!)
With regard to the procurement exercise, please do bear in mind that patients who are already six months into a two year waiting list may feel unsettled and even distressed if they hear that the service they are waiting to access is up for re-contracting. It would be valuable if communication on the subject could provide clear reassurance that there will be no interruption to care, and that key NHS principles such as patient choice and prompt access to care will remain central.
Many thanks
Michael
Any news on facial feminisation surgery to help with dysphoria in patients, particularly important around issues of mental health and acceptance.
Will there be changes to the electrolysis treatment available for transgender male to female and if so what are the changes thank you.
Hi James,
Can you tell me whether non binary gender is going to be recognised by the NHS? Currently I am forced to choose between either male or female on my records. I have a diagnosis of non binary gender dysphoria having to choose between male or female is extremely distressing.
Also, one of the most popular top surgeons, Mr [name removed by administrator] has lost his current NHS contract, leaving many of his patients in limbo as there is no news on when he is getting a new contract. For people who have waited for top surgery for years and years this is very upsetting.
Kind regards
Finn