Heya! Here's the updated UK GIC waiting times and patient populations courtesy of UK Trans Info

http://uktrans.info/attachments/article/341/patientpopulation-oct15.pdf

thanks for this! I might bring it with me to my next psych appt. cause they didn't believe me when i said how long the wait can be lol

Chilling.

There is a lot of push in the U.S. to make our health system more like Britain's. This makes me shudder.

Not something I know much about, but I have this vague recollection that the UK changed their system to be more like the USA about 20 years ago. Kind of ironic if its true.

I think as well those waiting times only apply if you use the public (free) system, and if you have the money and pay yourself its very different. In which case its not a fair comparison. Its the paid part is more like the USA since you have to pay there?

I have a feeling some things are the same clinics/ doctors for NHS or private, which might mean the wait times are long for both 'cause there's only so many doctors. But maybe private patients get jumped to the front of the queue?

You know, I wouldn't mind any of those wait times so long as I knew everything was covered. In the US, I'll spend much longer coming up with the money to pay for everything, even with insurance coverage.

I don't think it's 100% covered on the NHS all the time, I can't seem to find out if things like my chest surgery will be... I'm gonna have to ask :/

Quote from: Peep on February 01, 2016, 05:48:06 PM
I don't think it's 100% covered on the NHS all the time, I can't seem to find out if things like my chest surgery will be... I'm gonna have to ask :/

I haven't heard from anywhere that chest surgery isn't free. It's regarded as a necessary procedure to fit into the male role the same as bottom surgery.

Quote from: Elis on February 01, 2016, 06:18:35 PM
I haven't heard from anywhere that chest surgery isn't free. It's regarded as a necessary procedure to fit into the male role the same as bottom surgery.

I'm probably just being paranoid then P: I just haven't read anywhere YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY YOU SPECIFICALLY NO CHARGE I'll probably still be expecting a bill after it's done haha

Quote from: Peep on February 01, 2016, 07:23:32 PM
I'm probably just being paranoid then P: I just haven't read anywhere YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY YOU SPECIFICALLY NO CHARGE I'll probably still be expecting a bill after it's done haha

Yeah same . It is a £5000 procedure after all,  that's a lot of money to ask for from the NHS

Considering the massive difference in figures from last publication I am guessing that there is some massaging of figures.

Quote from: Peep on February 01, 2016, 07:23:32 PM
I'm probably just being paranoid then P: I just haven't read anywhere YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY YOU SPECIFICALLY NO CHARGE I'll probably still be expecting a bill after it's done haha

The interim protocol is here

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/int-gend-proto.pdf

and the RSP guide of how you should be treated and what you should get is here

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/files/pdfversion/CR181_Nov15.pdf

Individual GIC;s and GPs may be a bit more difficult in giving any of it too you but that's how its supposed to work

As for US vs UK treatment,  having spent 2 weeks in hospital in the US with my SO having major surgery, i think i can say the treatment on the ward is more or less the same, the big difference in the UK is you worry about the choices (or lack of) you have as its more or less prescribed institutional care, vs in the US you have a constant request for your insurance data and ongoing worry if they will cover the ever increasing bill which they didn't confirm until 2 weeks after discharge.  Ok so it was travel insurance and emergency care but not knowing if the $85,000 bill would be taken care of or if we would have to find the money was rather concerning all the time i was supposed to be taking care of my SO.

I also wouldn't take trans care as an example of NHS care.  Its a tiny niche of treatment which is under staffed and neglected for too long which is bad for all of us trans people but not really representative of the NHS as a whole.  But as i said the NHS is institutional and you follow the process, and more or less private treatment mirrors NHS treatment with the same Dr's and procedures, you just skip the queue and get a nicer room and free coffee in the waiting room