Gender dysphoria services: a guide for general practitioners and other healthcare staff

Abstract

This guide reflects current practice of National Health Service (NHS) gender clinic services in the United Kingdom (UK). The NHS offers healthcare free at the point of access. The guide describes how and when people with gender dysphoria should be referred; and what people with gender dysphoria can expect in terms of assessment, treatment, care and support from gender clinic services. This guide has been written by clinicians of the four largest gender clinic services in England. An early draft of this guide was shared with all UK gender clinic services for their input, following which trans people and other relevant stakeholders were consulted and given an extensive opportunity to comment on the draft guide. This guide is intended to inform primary care physicians, known in the UK as general practitioners, as well as all other relevant gender-related healthcare and psychotherapy service providers, both NHS and privately, commissioning bodies, and people with gender dysphoria.

Keywords:

• guidelines
• gender dysphoria
• gender identity clinic
• general practitioner
• primary care

Acknowledgements

This guide was commissioned by the Department of Health. In particularly we would like to thank Gail Elkington, policy advisor at the Equality & Inclusion Team at the Department of Health, Whitehall, London, UK for organising the consultation process with other UK gender clinic services, trans patients and other relevant stakeholders’ organisations. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health.

(All clinicians spend either all or the majority of their clinical time working at NHS Gender Clinic Services.)