Quote from: fear+loathing on April 20, 2017, 12:38:15 PM
2 years is ridiculous to be honest. Its so unfair considering the years of realisation, struggle and pain that all come before we even see a GP for a lot of us.. that isn't taken into consideration which really frustrates me.
I hope things work out for you ! Don't get me wrong the NHS is great and a lot of countries don't even offer this treatment but i just can't go on like this especially if i have the means to be the person i should be.
I understand the frustration, especially as the system is clogged up by dreamers, but I have no sympathy for anyone who feels so strongly but doesn't go private as I did. Not having a go at your OP as you may not be aware of what I am about to say.
Can't stand the waitFaced with a 2-4 year wait I booked in with GenderCare which is the private practice of the Dr Lorimer (psych) and Dr Seal (endo) who also work for the NHS at Charing Cross GIC. It costs £220 for a consultation with each doc. My appointments came in within 5 months. Not 24 or 48 but 5. I walked out of my first appointment with Dr Lorimer (who was voted top doc in his field BTW) with a diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria which goes on my medical file and allows me onto the NHS pathways (GIC, surgeries, treatments etc). He was also ready to offer me bridging hormones but I was seeing Dr Seal the week after so there wasn't much point. A week later I walked out of Seal's office with a private prescription for 3 months supply of various HRT (which only cost me £15 at the chemist).
Both Lorimer and Seal wrote to my doctor to confirm their diagnosis, treatment, their wish to treat me under a shared care agreement, and recommendation that he continues my treatment (prescriptions & blood tests). Omly 1 in 5 docs don't like prescribing HRT but all but a few will renew an existing prescription - hence the letter is gold if you have that 1 in 5 doc and it also gives you free blood tests so you get to stay safe and monitored. Both Lorimer and Seal have taken me on as a patient(shared care) and with a plan to send Seal my bloods in 2 months and check in with Lorimer in 3 months.
End resultI am now on full HRT treatment and under the care and supervision of the GIC docs until the GIC get round to seeing me. by that point I won't need the GIC for HRT but I'll be on the NHS pathway regardless. In other words you get to have your cake and eat it.
Bargain!£440 sounds a lot but if it's half as important to you as it appears then it's a steal. It's £44 a month to see Lorimer and £88 to see Seal (assuming you get to see him at about the same time). At this point in the conversation, the common counter-argument is a lack of money but don't buy that. I am on a very low income and have no one else to rely on yet I made it work.
The people who would moan about not having money to pay for private just didn't want to make sacrifices but were going for nights out and buying clothes, takeaways and treats. They were spending at least £50 per Saturday night. In contrast, as soon as I got my appointment with Lorimer I made immediate cutbacks. I did a month's worth of food shopping for under £20 and essentially lived on bean and toast courtesy of Aldi and I didn't go out.
Yours for just £18 a month!Now back to your 24 month wait and the despair you felt. If I said you could jump the queue and get on your way for just £18 a month you would bite my arm off yet that is all it works out at to see GenderCare (£440). £18 is barely a Domino's pizza.
Dick TurpinAt this point I will also point out the waste of space that is GenderGP. Dr Webberley isn't a trans-centric psych or endo and is just a GP who is happy to dole out weak HRT to anyone who doesn't have scary blood work. It's also convenient that the bloods are done by her husband so you pay him as well as her. Oh and she charges a fair whack for each prescription, too, including renewal.
Let me remind you that my prescription from Dr Seal was included in the consultation fee, was for proper HRT and not this uber-weak bridging nonsense, cost just £15 at the chemist, and all renewals are free. Oh and all my bloods are free via my GP unlike at GenderGP where you're charged for each test.
