UK: Disagreements inside Gender Identity Development Service . . .

[itsApril]

I'm in the USA, so I found this article a little hard to follow.  But it deserves the the attention of UK folks.  It appears that there is some heated disagreement inside the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS).  A governing board member has resigned, alleging that the Service is inappropriately "fast-tracking" the transition of young people.  It seems to me that this resigned member is advocating a much stronger "gatekeeper" function for the Service, and wants the Service to slow down and scrutinize exhaustively the transition of younger TG people.

Input from folks in the UK would be welcomed to explain this to us outside UK!



Governor of Tavistock Foundation quits over damning report into gender identity clinic

The Guardian/The Observer
by Jamie Doward
Sat 23 Feb 2019 15.37 EST

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/23/child-transgender-service-governor-quits-chaos?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVS19XZWVrZW5kLTE5MDIyNA%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&CMP=GTUK_email

" . . . Marcus Evans, one of the governors of The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust has resigned, after accusing its management of having an "overvalued belief in" the expertise of its Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) "which is used to dismiss challenge and examination".

"Evans's decision to part company with the London-based trust, after a 35-year association, will intensify scrutiny of the service which has found itself in the eye of a storm as thousands of young people considering transitioning to another gender seek its help.

"Some parents who contacted the Observer have accused the service of "fast-tracking" young people into changing gender, a charge strongly rejected by the service.

"Conversely, it has also faced complaints of lengthy waiting times for access to its services and drawn-out assessment periods which the service insists are crucial to understand a person's needs. . . ."

[Megan.]

GIDS is the service for the under 16(?)s in the UK and separate to the GIC (for adults only). There is clearly a division among the professionals in that space. The attempts and complaints against doctor Webberley (GenderGP) are of a very similar vein.

Sadly it is patients (us) being caught in the crossfire.

The NHS has a history of being very conservative in its approach to trans* care, and while it has improved hugely, a small number of consultants wield a huge amount of almost unquestionable power, and certainly some of them don't appreciate their views being questioned.

Things are slowly improving, and it's better here in the UK than in many countries.

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