Susan's Place Transgender Resources

So, I had an email today from the holding group to say that I'm now at the top of the waiting list and my name is about to be sent to Nuffield Parkside.

As a reminder, the NHS uses a holding system these days which is rather like the way air traffic controllers put you into a holding pattern if the airport is too busy. Those of you who fly into London Heathrow will know this only-too-well. They send you off in figure of 8 patterns well away from the airport before you are given the authority to begin your approach.

And it is, almost literally, like that. In my case I was in a holding queue out in the East Midlands for 8 months to the day: 27th March was when they received my referral from my Gender Clinic, and today I was told that I'm now at the top of the queue ready to be sent to Parkside. The reason that emailed me was to double check my latest Body Mass Index BMI before sending my name to the hospital. [Edit. update.] They have this minute written to confirm that my BMI is below the threshold of 31 and they are therefore sending my name forward. The Gender Air Traffic Controllers have given permission to begin the approach.

That doesn't mean I'll be landing - having the surgery - tomorrow ;) I can expect another humungous delay. When I asked Parkside they wrote this:

"The NHS wait once we receive your referral from the GDNRSS to see Miss Rashid is 9-12 months and then if suitable for surgery the current wait it 6-9 months."

So I'm looking at a further 18 months, by which time I will be 63. On the other hand, as I have a friend who lives 20 minutes from the hospital I'm going to see if I can be put on a cancellation list. Unlikely but you never know,

Sigh. I suppose better late than never, and I'd like to get this done before Nigel Farage and his Trumpian lot get into power (if they do, but it's a risk).

xx

More good news! Congrats.

18 months will fly by, I am sure. And it could happen sooner. Good luck!

Quote from: Lori Dee on November 27, 2025, 06:27:33 PMMore good news! Congrats.

18 months will fly by, I am sure. And it could happen sooner. Good luck!

Thanks Lori Dee.

I've got my house move to the western Scottish Highlands coming up in January, with redecorating and then furniture installation, the latter being quite a saga when an island is involved. So I shall be pretty distracted for much of the first half of 2026.

The other thing to mention is that it's a chance to focus on weight loss and a good level of fitness. They simply won't go ahead with surgery if your Body Mass Index (BMI) is near or over 31. So lots of healthy eating and exercise is planned.

We never know what's around the corner but all being well by this time next year I'll be primed and ready!

p.s. you're right: it was quite a day yesterday. Emails about my GCS surgery, birth certificate, and GRS certificate arriving literally all occurred within minutes of one another. Do you think the universe was saying something? :)

xx

The message is clear: You are ready!

@Tills
Dear Tills:
I am so very happy to read your good news regarding your surgery, and also
the other things you mentioned about moving in January, redecorating and furniture, and
very importantly focusing on your health.... weight loss and a good level of fitness
getting ready for your big day.

For your followers and readers including myself please keep your updates coming as you
feel comfortable sharing.

HUGS, Danielle Northern Star Girl

I see the wait time has gone up since I went for my op, think it was about 6months from first appointment till surgery. I was 66 so you got this my dear, best wishes and good luck with the house move.

Oh thank you so much Danielle and likewise Davina.

What lovely messages. I go into the weekend with a smile and a glow from that.

xx

Congratulations. You deserve this.

Ladies, I have a slight dilemma emerging.

I'm in the process of buying a place in Scotland and should be moving there during 2026. This will likely be well before I am called in by Nuffield Parkside, Wimbledon (London) for surgery.

The NHS in Scotland is not part of the NHS UK. It operates separately under the Scottish Government and I know from experience that they really are unconnected.

If I update my NHS records to my new Scottish address I fear I will be dumped out of the waiting list for Parkside and probably from Gender Services in England.

As I definitely only want the surgery at Parkside under Tina Rashid, with the backup of a good friend who lives 20 minutes away and who will look after me post-surgery, I think I'm going to have to maintain my NHS record in Surrey until surgery is complete.

I can't see another way around this? And from experience I'd also say that it doesn't pay to be too open about it.

xx

(This is probably a question for those with detailed knowledge of the NHS in the UK.)

Hi Tills

I'm no expert in NHS.  However on the face of what you have said,  I would stay with the NHS in England and if you have a house in Scotland then visit England for your medical needs, until after you have had surgery.  Then transfer your NHS to Scotland.

Alternatively wait until you have had surgery then buy your house in Scotland.

Or buy your house in Scotland but still have a residence in England until after surgery and visit your Scotland house for a nice weekend getaway!

I'm sure you will find a wonderful solution to your dilemma.  Take care and all the best for the future.

Best Wishes Always
Sarah B
Global Moderator
@Tills

Thanks @Sarah B

You're right. The sale is going through at the moment and under Scottish law you it becomes binding quite early. Plus it's a beautiful place :) I think the best, maybe only, solution is what you say: maintain my NHS records in the UK using the Surrey address. Then once the GCS is completed, with the aftercare, transfer. It may be a bit of a pain with getting other routine medical matters sorted when I'm up there but they would treat me for any emergencies.

xx

The long winding road continues.

My hospital have been in touch requesting blood results and an official print out of my BMI. Re. the latter they say specifically that if there's no BMI print out there will be no appointment.

BMI is actually a dreadfully clunky measuring tool but that's a whole different topic. I've complied and sent mine off.

xx

Quote from: Tills on January 29, 2026, 10:18:27 PMThe long winding road continues.

My hospital have been in touch requesting blood results and an official print out of my BMI. Re. the latter they say specifically that if there's no BMI print out there will be no appointment.

BMI is actually a dreadfully clunky measuring tool but that's a whole different topic. I've complied and sent mine off.

xx

I know the BMI is clunky and throughout my weight loss journey I have been told not to focus on it because it really doesn't mean how healthy you are.  But for certain medical procedures they do go by it, unfortunately.

However I noticed on some of your previous posts about switching from NHS England to NHS Scotland and the question about needing to be in England to be covered by NHS England.  I would recommend staying in England, or when you have an appointment, if it's virtual, have the virtual appointment somewhere in England.  Here in Ontario, especially with virtual appointments, the providers must ask if you are physically in Ontario, otherwise the government will not cover the appointment cost.  And through the internet, the Ontario Health program can most likely track down where your signal is originating from---and I assume that the NHS in England could probably do the same.  So for me, if I was going to rent a cottage in Quebec for a week, and I had a virtual appointment during that same week, I would have to drive back across the Quebec/Ontario border and be in Ontario, even if I'm just using my phone for the video.  As long as my phone was pinging off a cell tower in Ontario (or a Quebec cell tower that was showing that I was on the Ontario side) I'm fine.

I lived in Wales, my gp was NH-Wales, but my endocrine was in England.
It caused major headaches, to the point I would print out stuff from England and send it to my gp and vice -a-versa....
So yes, please, don't change your GP surgery until AFTER your GRS..

Quote from: SoupSarah on January 30, 2026, 06:07:11 PMI lived in Wales, my gp was NH-Wales, but my endocrine was in England.
It caused major headaches, to the point I would print out stuff from England and send it to my gp and vice -a-versa....
So yes, please, don't change your GP surgery until AFTER your GRS..

Thanks so much @SoupSarah and @NancyDrew1930

Yes that' exactly the plan of action. I have a friend down south in Surrey, which is where I'm currently registered, and so my NHS and GP address will remain there. She can pick up my prescriptions. The irritation will be if I need to be seen by a GP but I'll just have to suck that up until after the op when I can transfer. Fortunately I would still be seen for any urgent treatment in Scotland.

It's even more tricky in Scotland than Wales I believe because the two NHS's are not connected. NHS Scotland is a completely different entity. They can't even access records from south of the border.

I reckon it'll take about 15 months from here to surgery. It's a bit of a grinding process at the moment.

xx

Tills, hopefully everything moves swiftly for you and there are no complications with the move to Scotland how the the NHS systems can't work together efficiently is a total farce.

I hope I'm not asking a personal question here, feel free to tell me to keep my neb out but Tina Rashid is top of my list for surgeons in the uk. I understand she does PPV as an option. Is that an option you are going for or is it not available on the NHS?

Hi @Stottie Girl it's fine to ask ;)

I didn't know that she offers PPT. Wow. I'm not sure if it's available on the NHS. Probably not I'm guessing.

I don't think I'd be able to have Periotoneal Pull Through vaginoplasty anyway as I have diverticular. I think it would be considered a contra-indication.

I heard from the hospital yesterday:

"Thank you for this information, it has been added to your referral which will be reviewed by the clinical team.
We will be in touch in due course, please note this could be 3-6 months due to the waitlist."

It's a slow process.

xx

Hey, your way further on than I am! It's got to be getting excitng now!

I've never heard of diverticular, had to look it up. You might be right but then agin it couldn't hurt to ask when you see her, assuming you were interested in that of course.

I think the time will fly by.