AOG
Thank you for clarifying.
Yes, I agree that gender reassignment treatment and IVF should be made available on the NHS.
I've looked at the NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidance on IVF and gender dysphoria treatment, and they look reasonable.
I think a lot of people equate the treatment for gender dysphoria is the actual sex change operation. There's a lot more to it than that...treatment ranges across:
- Mental health support, such as counselling
- Cross-sex hormone treatment
- Speech and language therapy
- Hair removal treatments, particularly facial hair
- Peer support groups, to meet other people with gender dysphoria
- Relatives' support groups
We need to stop thinking of the NHS as a single business, where a lack of funding in one geographical or clinical area should impact others.
The criteria for whom and what is funded by the NHS varies across the UK. It's the local GP, local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) or health board who control what is available to whom in which areas. These groups advise prospective IVF patients on local funding arrangements.