Sex change treatments on the NHS in line for expansion

A HEALTH Service chief has opened the door for a range of more transgender treatments

Dr James Palmer said the NHS may provide facial hair removal, breast reduction, and even reversing gender reassignment surgeries.

There has been an ‘explosion’ in the number of children seeking a sex swap which may ‘accelerate’ if plans to expand publicly funded operations go ahead, NHS England’s medical director for specialised services said. The move comes as two thirds of NHS trusts were found to be denying cataract operations to patients in desperate need of the life-changing surgery.

Dr Palmer told the Westminster Social Policy Forum that referrals for gender dysphoria have increased by around

240 per cent over the last five year period. ‘There are currently ,500 adults waiting for an appointment with our services. No other specialist service has seen this growth, anywhere near. As a result there is absolutely not sufficient capacity in the system,’ he warned.

He said NHS-funded surgery for gender dysphoria currently included mastectomies and gender reassignment procedures. ‘We are going to try to look in more detail through the formation of what we call national clinical policies of the areas where surgery is not available on the NHS.

He said the NHS would consider introducing treatments if they are ‘value for money’ – including facial hair removal and breast reduction.

‘Facial hair removal’