UK Gender Service Wait Times
| Clinic | First appointment | Second appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Harley Street Gender Clinic (private) | 6 months (as of Nov ’21) | |
| Belfast (Brackenburn) | <47 months source | + ? months |
| Belfast KOI (KOI) | 3 months (as of Dec ’20) source | |
| Cardiff (Welsh Gender Service) | 24-28 months source | + ? months FOI request |
| Dr Lenihan (private) | 10 months (as of Nov ’21) | |
| Edinburgh (Chalmers) | 36 months (as of Feb ’22) source | + ? months source |
| Exeter (West of England) | 71 months (as of Apr ’22) source | + 12 months (as of Apr ’21) source |
| GenderCare (private) | 1-9 months (as of Nov ’21) source | |
| GenderDoctors (private) | 1-2 months (as of Nov ’21) source | |
| Glasgow (Sandyford) | 48 months (as of Jun ’22) source | + ? months source |
| Glasgow Youth (Sandyford Youth) | 36 months (as of Jun ’22) source | |
| Grampian | 18 months | + ? months |
| Inverness (Highland GIS) | >7 months source | + ? months |
| Kelly Psychology (private) | ? | |
| Leeds | 44 months (as of Jun ’22) source | + 16 months (as of Jun ’22) source |
| London GIC (Tavistock) | 52 months (as of Apr ’22) source | + 18 months (as of Jul ’21) source |
| London GIDS (Tavistock) | 31 months (as of Feb ’22) source | |
| London TransPlus | Transfers only - wait varies | |
| London Transgender Clinic (private) | 6 months | |
| Manchester (Indigo) | Transfers only - wait varies | |
| Merseyside (CMAGIC) | Transfers only - wait varies | |
| NCTH EOE | Transfers only - wait varies | |
| Newcastle | 50 months (as of Mar ’22) source | + 39 months (as of Mar ’22) source |
| Northants (Daventry) | 49 months (as of May ’22) source | + 8 months (as of Jul ’21) source |
| Northern Gender Network (private) | 5 months | |
| Nottingham | 27 months (as of May ’22) source | + 3-6 months (source - email) |
| Sheffield (Porterbrook) | 49 months (as of Apr ’22) source | + 18 months (as of Sep ’21) source |
| YourGP (private) | Does not provide wait time data |
The table above is a summary of the full list of waiting times we have on Gender Construction Kit. We generally try to update this every three months, by compiling figures the clinics have published and by submitting Freedom of Information requests.
As an NHS patient, you have the right to choose your care provider, but you’ll generally be limited to what clinics are in the same country as your GP. On top of that, all clinics in Scotland other than Sandyford are limited to specific regions.
Most NHS clinics will expect you to attend a minimum of two appointments before approval for hormones is given - so we’ve also listed the time to get a follow-up appointment.
Keep in mind that the data here is based on how long the wait was for the people who are being seen now. It’s likely that if you were referred today, you’d end up waiting significantly longer, as the waiting times have been on an upward trend for a while now. Unfortunately, these wait times are far in excess of the 18-week limit set out in the NHS constitution.
Youth services: note that the wait shown for GIDS is an average wait, and your actual wait may be considerably longer or shorter than that shown above. Recent waits for GIDS patients (2021) have in some cases been as long as 38 months (source). GIDS patients seeking puberty blockers will be referred to the UCLH paediatric endocrinology unit, which may entail an additional wait to be seen, and an independent Multi-Professional Review Group may have to be held to consider your case which can cause a further additional delay. After prescribing puberty blockers, GIDS require a further wait of at least a year before prescribing cross-sex hormones (source).
If you’re finding your wait difficult or stressful, we have some information on ways to get support on our mental health page.
If you’re interested in how we make our FOI requests or want to make some of your own, we’ve written a blog post about it!
Posted Aug 15, 2021, 7:40 PM UTC · edited