Sex change doctor guilty of misconduct {Reid}

[LostInTime]

David Batty
Friday May 25, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

The council's disciplinary panel ruled that he must no longer prescribe patients with sex-changing hormones at the first appointment without a firm diagnosis that they are transsexual and a proper psychiatric assessment.

The panel said the consultant psychiatrist's treatment of the five patients - known only as B, C, D, E and F - "fell well short of the standard of care to which [they] were entitled".

John Shaw, the chairman, said: "The panel considered it was vital to carry out a careful assessment of each patient's mental health, and your failure to do so in respect of patients B, C, E and F put them at risk.

[Thundra]

Claudia, who regrets changing sex, is one of six former patients bringing a separate legal claim for damages against Dr Reid. She said the decision not to strike Dr Reid off was "absolutely scandalous".

"I'm deeply disappointed with the GMC ruling," she said. "If this had been about another group of people - not transsexuals - I think there would have been a much tougher sentence. Everything that has been taken from me - both physically and in the broadest human sense - can never be recovered."

Again I say: Caveat Emptor

Another example of someone trying to blame someone else for their own decision making.

[Chaunte]

Somehow a 45 minute initial consultation and then placed on HRT seems a little fast for me.

This was Claudia's first appointment to discuss GID.  There was no prior counseling or psychiatric evaluation.

Normally I would agree with caveat emptor, but this seems to be the exception.  This has all the makings to be a doctor rushing in to make a quick buck at someone elses pain.

Chaunte

[RebeccaFog]

Yeah, the doctor should have directed the patient to see at minimum one therapist for a reasonable amount of time.

[Keira]

If he wanted to make a quick buck, he would have had strung her along.
There's no money in a quick treatment.
So, whatever motivation's Reid had, they are not monetary.

I still think people should take responsibility for their actions.
Its only 3 months, maybe 5-6 visits to get hormones.
How do you know that person would not have responded in the same
way for the 5-6 sessions and got the hormones anyway.

They will always be a certain % of people who regret anything,
that's human nature, you can't protect people against themselves
in all cases and those that go through SOC almost certainly got
a similar regret % to Reid (at least for hormones).

You do something and if things don't turn out super afterward, then you
blame it on the most convenient scapegoat available; assuming responsibility for our actions is very hard, being a victim is easier.

[LynnER]

I visited the good doctors site once.... it frightened me.....  THis guy calls stents medical grade dildos... advertises in porno mags, and if you look at his work its well beyond what I would consider disqualification for my surgery....  his prices say it all....  *Scarry*

[Keira]

Your talking about the Reid in Miami I think :-) (yes considered a SRS hack)
The one in question here is in the UK.

[Thundra]

I still think people should take responsibility for their actions.
Its only 3 months, maybe 5-6 visits to get hormones.
How do you know that person would not have responded in the same
way for the 5-6 sessions and got the hormones anyway.

Right On!  I have been advocating for years that people who transition should petition to have the mental illness application to their disorder be removed, so that a visit to a shrink would not be necessary. A certain amount of people are always going to be a little whacko, and sneak through even the most arduous of reviews.

I am all for empowering people to make their own decisions, and then their own choices, whether that involves HRT, surgery, or whatever. Your life, your choice. Putting the blame on the medical establishment gives them the power to decide what is best for you. Only YOU know what is best for you. Here is what I have always told anyone that wants to transition.
Do you have ANY doubts?  If so, than don't do it.  I am not talking about worrying about things like money or security, as we all have those problems. But, if you have ANY doubts about whether this is who you are, than don't do it. Like Yoda says, "Do or do not, there is no try."

I think that this is a vendetta against this guy, because he is enabling people to pursue their own agenda outside of the control of the medical establishment in Britain. We have to rememeber that doctors come from a conservative segment of society. And the majority opf society believes that people that transition are nuts. So, ergo, unless you agree you are nuts, they will not "treat " you. It gives them some hold or control over who you are allowed to be.
If everyone had unfettered access to treatment, and no repurcussions financially or otherwise to fret about, than I think they assume that there would be LOTS of gender-non-compliant people to deal with. And they would not want THAT! Might make those crazy people a bit more normal.