Transitioning on the NHS is a nightmare

[RosieD]

I spoke to my GP in July (2012), saw yhe community mental health team the following September,  gender specialist in February (2013), second appointment with specialist in May, endocrinologist in August when I got my prescription. I had been self-medding which may or may not have sped things up. Either way I am sure I wouldn't recommend it.

Rosie

[JamesG]

Ah... socialized medicine in a world of limited resources.

[Seras]

We have a private sector too.

I know where I would rather live if private was unaffordable.

[JamesG]

At the mercy of bureaucrats and accountants?

[RosieD]

At the mercy of bureaucrats and accountants?

Tsk, tsk. Let us not reopen that debate. We have different ways of running our health care systems and that is all there is to it. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages so there is little point arguing over which is 'best'. A better use of that energy might be to help people struggling with the shortfalls of whichever one they have to deal with.

Rosie

[Beverly]

Ah... socialized medicine in a world of limited resources.

Indeed. You have no idea how awful it is to transition at no cost. We can even go private and pay for an informed consent approach just like the USA.

Have you any idea how awful it is to be able to choose?

[Jayne]

Unfortunately for many the "choice" to go private is a no-go.
Since the minimum wage was introduced the average wages for normal people has dropped whilst the price of living keeps rising, before the minimum wage I could easily earn £10 an hour as a forklift driver but forklift driving is now a minimum wage job.
In my last job over half of my take home earnings was just my rent, by the time you pay for bills & food you are lucky to have anything left for transitioning.

When I came out I intended to put my limited finances into going private wherever possible, I even gave up my flat & moved into a bedsit to free up extra cash. Then I was made redundant & no matter what employment law says there will always be a more suitable applicant when you are mid transition, all a potential employer will think about on an interview is how much time will this person need off of work for appointments, surgery & recovery time.

My only choice is to transition on the NHS or give up my transition until i'm employed, this would mean going back into hiding & changing my name back to my old male name, keeping being trans a secret almost killed me due to the depression so it's not much of a choice is it?

[JamesG]

Each has its own advantages and disadvantages so there is little point arguing over which is 'best'. A better use of that energy might be to help people struggling with the shortfalls of whichever one they have to deal with.

More like "least worst",  but I agree about working around the machinery...

Indeed. You have no idea how awful it is to transition at no cost.

You really think it has "no cost"?

[NIP]

Ah... socialized medicine in a world of limited resources.

I agree, it's just awful that we don't let people die of cancer because of a far-fetched get-out clause in their insurance, their families watching them literally waste away at home. Totally awful that us Europeans with our communist healthcare systems don't let people die of preventable disease because they can't pay, and that in our case we have the option of the state paying for entirety of our transitions (with no "co-pay" or "deductibles" or whatever) on the condition they give priority to people with more urgent problems like cancer, and if we don't like waiting, we can choose to, er, go private and pay ourselves, and then hop back into the state system if we want! I paid to get a diagnosis more quickly (2 months as opposed to 2 years at most, perhaps), and then moved back into the NHS, which now covers my hormones, and, because I satisfy a single low-income condition, I don't even have to pay the prescription charge (of about $10 for a prescription, no matter what it constitutes or how much the NHS pays for it)! The state is literally paying every penny of the cost of my HRT, and it's truly awful!

[NIP]

You really think it has "no cost"?

No, that's true, we're probably paying about £1 in tax a year each that gets spent on everyone's TG/TS related health cost combined. Sure doesn't represent value for money. And it's not like that because the NHS can buy things like hormones in huge quantities, it doesn't make a huge cost saving.

[JamesG]

Defensive eh?

[Beverly]

Defensive eh?

Yeah... why not?

It is not a perfect system by any means but many, many people transition successfully using it and it is not mandatory. If you want to use insurance to pay for your transition then you can do so. I just get annoyed when a system that works well enough for most people gets knocked by people who will never use the system. You will only hear complaints, never about successes and successes outweigh failures many times over. I know many transwomen and I know of only two whose transitions have been less good than others. I know several dozen who have had success.

I pay £15 ($24) every 3 months for medications including a GnRH analogue that would cost me £250 a shot privately and is far more effective than Spiro/Cypro. I have never seen a bill from a therapist or psychologist. My $16,000 (£10,000) SRS is free but I have to wait a bit. Fair enough. People going to Brassard or Suporn have to wait too. I can pay if I do not want to wait and the same surgeon will do the operation in the same hospital.

The doctors and nurses know their stuff, but the admin people are not always the best. So yeah - it's hell.

[Beverly]

Unfortunately for many the "choice" to go private is a no-go.
....
My only choice is to transition on the NHS or give up my transition until i'm employed, this would mean going back into hiding & changing my name back to my old male name, keeping being trans a secret almost killed me due to the depression so it's not much of a choice is it?

It is a better choice than many get in the US or Canada where there is only self-med or go private. I agree it is not perfect and I am fighting the electroylsis battle with them just like you are. Given the choice, I will stick with the NHS.

[JamesG]

Yeah... why not?

Because it requires the willful ignorance of economics.

Anyway, I'll respect other's desire to not turn this into a politics thread and stop twisting your tail.

[Jayne]

The state is literally paying every penny of the cost of my HRT, and it's truly awful!

I've been paying tax & NI for 20yrs to support "the state", i've rarely been unemployed & the few times I have been out of work i've supported myself with whatever agency work I can get rather than claim benifits.
Since being made redundant i've had to swallow my pride & at the age of 38 i've had to admit defeat & claim benifits so I feel justified in saying that after supporting the state for 20yrs it's about time I got something back.

[Jayne]

Often when a topic comes up about problems transitioning on the NHS people from overseas decide to jump in with the attitude that we should just think ourselves lucky we have "free" transitions.

Because it requires the willful ignorance of economics.

We pay for our NHS with taxes & NI contributions just as you pay with insurance, the NHS is not "free" there is just no charge at the point of services being delivered, the charge comes every week/month when a large chunk of our wages is taken away. It would appear that you have misunderstood the economics of the UK's NHS funding.
As we pay for the NHS we have every right to complain when the NHS fails us so would people please keep this in mind.

Also, 2 - 3 years ago my local health authority decided to write off an estimated £1.3 million owed by "health tourists" so when they say they that the NHS is strapped for funds I feel completely justified in being just a little bit miffed when the healthcare i've spent a lifetime paying for lets me down!

[kira21 ♡♡♡]

^ this.  It'd paid but monthly like insurance from pay cheques.

[NIP]

I've been paying tax & NI for 20yrs to support "the state", i've rarely been unemployed & the few times I have been out of work i've supported myself with whatever agency work I can get rather than claim benifits.
Since being made redundant i've had to swallow my pride & at the age of 38 i've had to admit defeat & claim benifits so I feel justified in saying that after supporting the state for 20yrs it's about time I got something back.

My statement was meant sarcastically, so I'm sorry if you took it seriously and were offended. Alternatively, if my being at present a net recipient rather than benefactor of the state offends you, I'd point out that you know absolutely nothing about me and my life, and why this is the case. I've also paid tax, and no doubt will pay plenty more in the future. I'm sure by my death I'll be a net benefactor for the UK again. And that's the way I'd want it to be. But, I see nothing wrong with being a net recipient.

From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

Though I'll point out for JamesG's sake that this latter sentiment is not one widely held in the UK, and probably the whole of EU, except perhaps a few declining (but stabilising) Scandinavian cases.

I'd also point out to JamesG that the US' style of healthcare is the exception, rather than the rule, in first-world medicine. Our "willful ignorance of economics" seems to work out pretty well, you know, in practice. Chances are you'll be put in a position sometime in your life when you'll wish for just a bit of socialised medicine.

[JamesG]

Doubtful.

[crowcrow223]

I spoke today with one lady from my local surgery, she said that the appointment should be scheduled within 18 weeks.. ;x that's quite a lot.. Anyway, I'm quite patient lol

Thanks for all the reponses girls