U.K PCT / NHS Petition

[Berliegh]

Dear all,

Here is a petition started by Stephanie Butterfield: Please sign it if you can or use an alias to sign if you wish:

The current PCT funded NHS allows each PCT to effectively decide how they will manage their budget. This means that the amount and the quality of funded provision of healthcare associated with Gender re-assignment towards transsexuals largely depends on where you live which cannot be right at all. There has to be a fairer system, which would allow equal access to the same healthcare regardless of where you live.

The reality of the NHS at present is that one PCT in one area will fund almost all associated procedures, where as another will fund none at all. What are these associated procedures? they are as follows; Facial hair removal, breast augmentation, trachea shave and rhinoplasty.

These are absolutely essential for a transwoman to live successfully in her chosen gender role, my PCT is calling these procedures cosmetic, which is not the case at all.

What this petition asks is that the Prime minister and his cabinet colleague the Health Minister end this unfair system of healthcare provision.

Stephanie Butterfield
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/healthcare4ts/

[seldom]

You should be lucky to have a system at all.  As silly as it sounds, if I were living in a country with such a system, I would just move to the place where it is most beneficial.  The fact they are covering "associated proceedures" outside of SRS is amazing itself.  I am extremely fortunate in the US to have HRT fully covered by my insurance provider. 

Why the UK, Canada, etc. should adopt a universal FAIR policy (which means no Blanchard style clinics (Ontario/Toronto Clinic) and 1 year RLT for HRT), you do not know how fortunate you are to have any system, and even have the option to move to an area where you CAN be fully covered. 

[Berliegh]

You should be lucky to have a system at all.  As silly as it sounds, if I were living in a country with such a system, I would just move to the place where it is most beneficial.  The fact they are covering "associated proceedures" outside of SRS is amazing itself.  I am extremely fortunate in the US to have HRT fully covered by my insurance provider. 

Why the UK, Canada, etc. should adopt a universal FAIR policy (which means no Blanchard style clinics (Ontario/Toronto Clinic) and 1 year RLT for HRT), you do not know how fortunate you are to have any system, and even have the option to move to an area where you CAN be fully covered. 

That's the problem Amy, we don't have a system. We pay high taxes towards our National Health System all out lives and when we need it it's not there. I unfortunitely went through the NHS GIC syatem for 7 years from 2000 - 2007 and in that time no treatment was facilitated. My PCT (Health Authority) paid Charing Cross GIC in London on average of  £1,000 per year towards treatment. Although Charing Cross GIC recieved this money they made no effort to treat me or make referrals. I have lived many years living a RLT.

I was then out of desperation running parellel and starting on hormones with a private consultant and I did pay for my treatment privately and have had no help whatsoever from the NHS. So far I've paid around £4,000 on private treatment.

The objective of the petition is the fact that some people in U.K recieve NHS treatment and others are discarded and don't recieve any treatment depending on the area where they live. Some PCT's (Health Authorities) are different to others and at the moment the U.K NHS system is like a lottery system depending on location.  This of course is unfair and should be highlighted in more detail.

I have heard stories of people getting various surgeries on the NHS including GRS, Breast augmentation, Liposuction and FFS. Others like myself despite going through the NHS system for 7 years recieved absolutely nothing....

The suggestion of moving to another location is not always the best solution (and I would have to go through the whole process again I don't want to waste another 7 years). Private treatment is the only solution for me personally even though I have no idea how to find the money.

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?nhsgidsp&51

[seldom]

I have to bankroll quite a bit myself.  But I am part of the fortunate few that live in a big city in the US, with a extremely good GLBT clinic (Whitman-Walker) which has a deal with my provider.  It has made things happen without much pain that the US health care system normally offers TS.  I am a rarity in that so much is covered (but I still have to cover much myself). 

It seems like the UK is mostly based on luck and even with luck it seems like that is up in the air.  I said that some in the UK HAVE to turn to DIY for hormones, and I think you are exposing part of the reason why.  There is very little consistency in treatment or for coverage, while some luck out, others are left in the dark and have to do everything on their own.  Government requirements would help quite a bit.  Needlessly deficiency describes most places in the western world.  I would say push for reform as much as you could.

I wish the US though had SOME of the laws the UK does regarding changing documents.  I also with the US had the EU's human rights laws.  However, we have a much further way to go here.  Basic CIVIL RIGHTS are a bigger concern now in the US for anybody who is transgender. 

[Berliegh]

I have to bankroll quite a bit myself.  But I am part of the fortunate few that live in a big city in the US, with a extremely good GLBT clinic (Whitman-Walker) which has a deal with my provider.  It has made things happen without much pain that the US health care system normally offers TS.  I am a rarity in that so much is covered (but I still have to cover much myself). 

It seems like the UK is mostly based on luck and even with luck it seems like that is up in the air.  I said that some in the UK HAVE to turn to DIY for hormones, and I think you are exposing part of the reason why.  There is very little consistency in treatment or for coverage, while some luck out, others are left in the dark and have to do everything on their own.  Government requirements would help quite a bit.  Needlessly deficiency describes most places in the western world.  I would say push for reform as much as you could.

I wish the US though had SOME of the laws the UK does regarding changing documents.  I also with the US had the EU's human rights laws.  However, we have a much further way to go here.  Basic CIVIL RIGHTS are a bigger concern now in the US for anybody who is transgender. 

Thanks for your post Amy. You are right, in the U.K there are many people who have to buy hormones on line and are managing their own transition because the NHS Health system and to some extent the private sector makes no attempt to help them. It's a grey area being transsexual and it's easier for them to ignore us than to offer any support.

My arguement was the fact that I was lead down the wrong path for 7 years by my GP and Health Authority (PCT Primary Care Trust) in the belief that I would recieve treatment through the NHS. My PCT paid the NHS London GIC clinic a lot of money for my non - existent treatment. The NHS London GIC clinic then chose to ignore my needs and basically steal the PCT's money and put it into other projects. I suffered a lot of depression for the 7 years and was unable to access any form of treatment even though my Health Authority paid them to treat me. Both myself and my Health Authority have lost out. My Health Authority have now learnt by their mistakes and will no longer be sending anyone else with Gender Dysphoria to the NHS London GIC clinic.

During this time period and the fact that the NHS London GIC clinic refused hormones for 2 and a half years I had no choice than to start my treatment privately. There are a lot of politics going on and the NHS London GIC clinic have tried to put the private GIC clinics out of business, the main reason being because the NHS London GIC clinic is (quite rightly) losing patients and also losing money which they have taken from Health authorities and only have intentions for their own gain and not for the care for the patient. It is corrupt and some of us are actively trying to do something about it.

I made a big mistake by using the NHS system and all I can do is warn others that they could be in the system for up to 10 years and still not recieve any treatment. I am extreamely happy now that I am no longer tied into the NHS system and at last feel free and able to work out a proper treatment program and run my own life once again.