I want to make a doctor's appointment to talk about my gender dysphoria etc, but is my gp my best place for a first assessment? Was wondering if I should directly self-refer to the gender clinic. Also, if I told the doctor I was trans, would it be confidential? I'm disabled and 15 so I'm classed as a vulnerable child.
How did your family doctor respond when you told them you were trans? I know all docs are different, I just want to get a vague idea in my head of what the appointment will be like.
Thanks!


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If you are only 15, you may want to check your local state laws to see what can be discussed w o your parents involved.  Have you talked to them already?  If there is an issue here, maybe start with a councelor to hopefully help get your parents on your side.. 

Why I am saying this, unless your are an emancipated minor, I don't think you can get gender help w o your parents consent.  Hopefully someone here can answer this one first..  good luck:)

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Quote from: Cynobyte on October 21, 2015, 05:05:11 AM
If you are only 15, you may want to check your local state laws to see what can be discussed w o your parents involved.  Have you talked to them already?  If there is an issue here, maybe start with a councelor to hopefully help get your parents on your side.. 

Why I am saying this, unless your are an emancipated minor, I don't think you can get gender help w o your parents consent.  Hopefully someone here can answer this one first..  good luck:)

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Family are completely against trans people - they're either radical feminists or Mormons.

I keep seeing the word "emancipation" mentioned on this site. What is it?


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Emancipation is when a minor (usually a teenager) is legally made "an adult." To do this, you have to present evidence to a judge that you would be better off alone than you would be under your parents control. It's not always granted -- you have to convince the judge that terminating the parent-child relationship would be in your best interest and that's super subjective. It does happen, though, especially in the case of abuse. Someone who has been emancipated can make legal and medical decisions for themself despite being under 18.

In my experience with non LGBT related family doctors, they were very ignorant and asked unrelated disturbing questions that still bothers me.
Without even mentioning the word 'trans', maybe you could start the conversation by mentioning things like "ever since puberty, I became very unhappy with the changes with my body" or the similar and see how they would respond and see if they do have an open mind because if they do, they'll probably be the ones to mention transgender.

I heard you can self refer to some GICs but the usual procedure is to visit a GP for an official referral, which is what I did.

When I told my GP she was very sympathetic, and asked only appropriate questions, referred me right away to the nearest GIC. I have since had a session there with the staff to discuss my case and will have 2 or 3 more soon. The doctor does not assess your case, they simply ask if you are sure you want to go further and speak to specialists at a GIC and if you say yes, then they will send a letter or email to the GIC requesting you an appointment. Then like me you will probably have a 10 month or so wait. The GP has no reason to ask inappropriate questions such as anything about your sexuality etc. - what questions they should ask should only be pertinent to getting you an appointment at the gender clinic. In my case, she asked only if I was fairly sure my problems were gender related, that did I suffer gender dysphoria, and that did I wish to live as a man with a male identity. I answered yes to all of these questions and she sent the referral.   

Yes, it is highly confidential - as is all information that is disclosed to the GP, excluding all those who are legally allowed access to your medical records, such as certain job applications, medical specialists, etc. They are not supposed to tell anybody else, such as family members. If they do, they are liable for disciplinary action. But it will be on your medical records.

I think - given some of the stories others have told of their GP referrals - that I was very lucky. My GP is a nice person who is following up helping me regarding the trans issue with other associated medication. Others haven't been so lucky. If you suspect your personal GP will be problematic, perhaps you can self-refer.

It's worth bearing in mind that this is an international site, and there does tend to be an automatic assumption that users are in the US if they don't state otherwise in their posts. I notice that the OP is in Scotland.

Scottish patients are fortunate in that you can self-refer to the Sandyford in Glasgow without even contacting your GP. The rest of us have to go through our GPs first, and Welsh patients have an additional hurdle of needing to go through a psychiatric assessment first before being referred to just one GIC.

In Scotland, 16 is the Age of Legal Capacity at which you can enter into contracts and consent to various things including medical treatment. However, there is some Scottish case law from 1991 which states that a child under 16 years can be considered to have the legal capacity to consent to medical treatment where the practitioner believes they fully understand the nature & consequences of the treatment. So it's worth ringing the Sandyford, telling them your situation (including your unaccepting family) and asking whether they'll accept you as a patient at your current age.

There is a chance that they might say they need your parents' consent as you're not yet 16, in which case you'll either have to keep your fingers crossed that your folks will agree... or just wait a few more months until you're 16 and apply then. Because once you hit 16, your folks will have no right to even know about any treatment you're getting, and they can't stop you from getting it. So worst-case scenario: you may have to wait until you're 16.

Don't worry about this 'emancipation' stuff: it's an American thing that isn't necessary in your case, as you're about to be 'emancipated' thanks to HM Government on your 16th birthday anyway. 

The Sandyford's number for new patients requesting a first appointment is 0141 211 8137 and here's their leaflet for new patients (in PDF format)

Quote from: FTMDiaries on October 23, 2015, 04:37:18 AM
It's worth bearing in mind that this is an international site, and there does tend to be an automatic assumption that users are in the US if they don't state otherwise in their posts. I notice that the OP is in Scotland.

Scottish patients are fortunate in that you can self-refer to the Sandyford in Glasgow without even contacting your GP. The rest of us have to go through our GPs first, and Welsh patients have an additional hurdle of needing to go through a psychiatric assessment first before being referred to just one GIC.

Can you self-refer to Glasgow on the NHS if you're outwith that area? Is that option only if you're going private? *is also Scottish*

OP: I'm going to my GP next friday to ask for a referral, I'm going into it with the attitude that their job is to pass me on to the GIC and not ask inappropriate questions, so if they do I'm not answering any. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Quote from: Peep on October 23, 2015, 02:42:48 PM
Can you self-refer to Glasgow on the NHS if you're outwith that area? Is that option only if you're going private? *is also Scottish*

Anybody who lives in Scotland and is registered with a GP in Scotland can self-refer to the Sandyford. Going to your GP first is a waste of your time, especially if you want to get on the GIC's waiting list as soon as possible. The waiting list for new patients is currently around 12 months. GP referrals generally take at least a month or two to start rolling, so you may prefer to cut that time down as much as possible by going direct.

The Sandyford is the main NHS GIC in Scotland (it's not a private clinic); it just so happens that it is in Glasgow. They accept NHS patients from everywhere in Scotland. So if you're a Scottish NHS patient, it's pretty much your best bet.

It's also worth knowing that the Sandyford has an unofficial Edinburgh clinic that you can't be referred to directly; you seem to need to have your original referral in Glasgow and they can then send you to their Edinburgh clinic if that's more convenient.

Alternatively, there's another NHS doctor in the Highlands who sees patients (Dr Gordon McKenna, Raigmore Hospital Sexual Health Clinic, Inverness) and there's a private doctor who holds clinics in Aberdeen and Edinburgh (Dr Lyndsey Myskow) but of course you'd have to pay for her services. Unlike the NHS clinics she only sees over-18s, and she currently charges £230 for a one-hour session.

(I think I'm starting to recognise everyone in timezone.  Waves hi from Dublin.)

Quote from: captains on October 26, 2015, 07:26:58 AM
(I think I'm starting to recognise everyone in timezone.  Waves hi from Dublin.)

(Waves hi from the sunny South West of England!) 

Quote from: FTMDiaries on October 26, 2015, 06:22:08 AM

The Sandyford is the main NHS GIC in Scotland (it's not a private clinic); it just so happens that it is in Glasgow. They accept NHS patients from everywhere in Scotland. So if you're a Scottish NHS patient, it's pretty much your best bet.

It's also worth knowing that the Sandyford has an unofficial Edinburgh clinic that you can't be referred to directly; you seem to need to have your original referral in Glasgow and they can then send you to their Edinburgh clinic if that's more convenient.

So I could self refer to Sandyford Glasgow and go to the Edinburgh one? Edinburgh is closest to me so I've only been researching the Edinburgh clinic and haven't had much luck... I've already got a GP appointment on Friday, but i could get in touch with Sandyford first? My only issue is i would have difficulties getting to Glasgow if they need me there for initial consults. Damn this was my first step and i already feel like I made the wrong choice....

@OP sorry for derailing your topic :C

Quote from: Peep on October 26, 2015, 10:00:22 AM
So I could self refer to Sandyford Glasgow and go to the Edinburgh one? Edinburgh is closest to me so I've only been researching the Edinburgh clinic and haven't had much luck... I've already got a GP appointment on Friday, but i could get in touch with Sandyford first? My only issue is i would have difficulties getting to Glasgow if they need me there for initial consults. Damn this was my first step and i already feel like I made the wrong choice....

That seems to be the way they do it: you self-refer to Sandyford and go on their waiting list, but they later transfer you to their Edinburgh clinic. Your best bet is to ring them on the number I gave above, explain that you'd like a First Appointment but that it'd be handier for you to be seen in Edinburgh if possible, and then see what they say.

Your GP would only refer you to the Sandyford anyway and they wouldn't get you seen in Edinburgh any faster. And in all honesty, it usually takes GPs month or so to pull their fingers out, write the referral, and send it via internal post (which takes ages) to the clinic. You'd be much better off just ringing the Sandyford and asking what your chances are of being seen in Edinburgh. And if you have to go to Glasgow, at least you'll be there a month earlier if you self-refer.

Good luck! 

Thanks for the info! I might call if my GP is slow. i'm not sure if i should pull out of my GP appointment... :/

I was looking at the patient population and wait time statistics for the Edinburgh Clinic and Sandyford and it seems like Sandyford has a bigger waiting list, and they say it's 12 months for a first appointment, vs 12-14 for Edinburgh (Chalmers)... I know if the GP refers me it'll be to Edinburgh, how do i tell which is the best one? The wait times seem like they'll be roughly the same.