Hrt waiting times in the UK

[maybesoph]

Hi all.

I'm starting therapy next week after years of struggle, even booking the appointment was like a relief.
I know who I am already have for years, my wife always refers to me as the girlie one ( which I adore )
It would be lovely to have a rough time frame from therapy to assessment to hrt.
Like a lot of you girls now I'm finally ready I want it all, yesterday.
So I've got my foot hard on the brakes as after reading the wisdom on here seems so right for everyone connected to me but just a rough idea would be fantastic.

Sophie

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[Casady]

Hi Sophie,

Are you going via the NHS or a private route? I used Dr Webberley's GenderGP service and the process took about 3 months from first filling in their contact form to receiving my prescription. They are very cautious (understandably) and I had several Skype/phone sessions with their counsellors, answered quite a lot of very detailed questions and provided blood test results obtained via my GP (standard over 40s health check-up to start with). This service and the private prescriptions obviously cost, although quite proportionate to other necessary treatments such as laser hair removal. I'm not sure of current waiting times via the NHS, although it is strongly recommended that you initiate this via your GP as soon as possible even if initially going down the private route. You can also then hopefully use your GP for the blood tests required every few months by GenderGP or similar private service to continue receiving private prescriptions in the meantime. Obviously this is based on my own experience - hopefully others will reply with their experienced time frames including other routes.

Casady

[davina61]

With Gender GP and shared care with my local GP, yes it takes a few months to set up. As for the GIC its been 15 months and not heard anything after first contact but then they say at least 2 years till first appointment.

[pamelatransuk]

Hello Maybesoph

I believe from both reading Susans and other sources that there is a long wait under the NHS system for being prescribed HRT at GIC. It can I believe be a minimum of 16 months and sometimes 2 years to wait.

Consequently many of us here in UK have decided either temporarily or permanently to go private and as Casady and Davina say, a good option is GenderGP. There have been several threads on GenderGP and I and others have been commenting on it on the Transgender Talk Board (page 0ne). I am with GenderGP and very happy with their all round service - admin, therapy, HRT.

After providing details for them and answering questionnaire, you are allocated to counselling/therapy. I only needed one counselling session as I knew I am definitely transgender but some patients need more therapy. So in my case I started HRT two months after registering with them. At the age of 62 I do not wish to wait such long periods.

As Casady states, you may request GenderGP to set up Shared Agreement between GenderGP and your GP and this would save you prescription costs and Blood Test and Blood Pressure costs as there are required every 3 months.

I wish you every success whichever route NHS or Private you choose.


Hello Casady

I have not yet set up Shared Agreement myself. Can you confirm please that if the SA is indeed set up between GenderGP and our NHSGP, that our NHSGP or Practice Nurse does the Blood Pressure Test and the Blood Tests and then e-mails results to GenderGP or do we the patient have to e-mail to GenderGP please?

Thanking you and I wish you every success also on your journey.

Pamela

[maybesoph]

Hi all,

Thankyou so much for the replies, I've got my first therapy session booked for next Tuesday, but I'm definitely going to contact genderGP, same as a lot of others I've waited so long to admit who I really am, that I don't fancy waiting 2 years or more just to start.
I'll keep you wonderful people updated x

Sophie

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[pamelatransuk]

A wise decision Sophie to contact GenderGP.

In the meantime you may wish to read the GenderGP stories here on Susans' in Transgender Talk as most of us give positive feedback.

Hugs

Pamela

[Casady]

Hello Casady

I have not yet set up Shared Agreement myself. Can you confirm please that if the SA is indeed set up between GenderGP and our NHSGP, that our NHSGP or Practice Nurse does the Blood Pressure Test and the Blood Tests and then e-mails results to GenderGP or do we the patient have to e-mail to GenderGP please?

Thanking you and I wish you every success also on your journey.

Pamela

Hi Pamela,

I haven't yet set up an SA between GenderGP and my GP. Sorry, there's me telling others to start the process as soon as possible and I don't practice what I preach! I was typical as a man and in all my adult life have only visited a GP about three times, so not yet sure who my GP is even. Coincidentally as I was making enquiries with GenderGP, my GP's surgery wrote to me about the over 40's health check, which are meant to be done every 5 years I believe. I had the health check with the nurse at the start of January and when the blood results came in I phoned up and asked for a copy of the results, which I photographed and emailed to GenderGP. They sent me an initial 1 month prescription and then a 3 month prescription, which I guess was the same for you and others. I now need to contact my GP to discuss the SA and getting next lot of blood tests and blood pressure in time for next prescription. I thought GenderGP emailed me a letter to print off telling the GP about their service and the SA, but when I searched through my emails just now I could only find mention of them writing to your GP once you give them permission to do so. Either way, I guess the best thing is to make the appointment with GP and see what they say. Regarding the tests, I would imagine you could get the practice nurse to do them and give you the results, even without an SA in place if you explain why you need them, or even request that with your permission they email results to GenderGP directly. If I find out for sure before you do then I'm happy to update.

Best of luck on your journey too Pamela!

Casady

[pamelatransuk]

Thank you for all your help Casady

Pamela

[pamelatransuk]

Casady - just to let you know Davina has kindly clarified GenderGP SA system on GenderGP thread on Transgender Talk Board- Pamela

[Casady]

Thanks Pamela. I just need to go see my GP now.