In the UK, people who are changing things linked to gender are supported by a set of specialist centres.
We call them ‘gender clinics’ because we think that’s the simplest and easiest way to describe them. Some gender clinics call themselves:
- a Gender Dysphoria Clinic (GDC)
- a Gender Identity Clinic (GIC)
- a Gender Identity Service (GIS)
These terms all mean pretty much the same thing!
The services offered vary from gender clinic to gender clinic, but usually include:
- formal diagnosis
- information about medical transition
- psychotherapeutic support (e.g. counselling, psychology, or psychiatry)
- peer support services
- referral to other support, like fertility preservation or hair removal
If you’re old enough, they can also offer:
The first thing to do is to decide whether you want to be seen by:
- a NHS gender clinic: This is free for most people, but the waiting times can be very long. There’s more information about this option on this page.
- a private gender clinic: This is a gender clinic where you pay to be seen, which normally have much shorter. There’s more information about this option on our Private Care page.
- both an NHS and a private clinic: If you can afford it, this is a popular option as you can access treatment without a long wait, and when the NHS clinic is able to see you, they will pay for some of the more expensive treatments.
Once you’ve decided who you want to see you, you can read about how to access a gender clinic on our Getting referred to a gender clinic page.
The NHS gender clinics you will be referred to depends on which country you are registered with a GP in. In England, you may have a choice of where you’re referred.
I’m registered with a GP in Cymru (Wales)
People under 18 can access the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Service. To read more about getting a referral, read the National CYP Gender Referral Support Service page.
People 17 or over should be referred to the Welsh Gender Service. Referrals should be made by your GP – you cannot self-refer.
I’m registered with a GP in England
People under 18 can access the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Service. There are regional clinics for the North West, South West, and London areas, with further regional clinics expected to open in the future. To read more about getting a referral, read the National CYP Gender Referral Support Service page.
People 17 or over can ask to be referred to adult gender services. You can ask to be referred to any of the following services, regardless of where you live, as long as you are registered with an NHS England GP:
- Leeds Gender Identity Service
- Northamptonshire Gender Identity Clinic
- Northern Region Gender Dysphoria Service
- The Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health
- Sheffield Gender Identity Service
- The Tavistock and Portman Gender Identity Clinic for Adults
- West of England Specialist Gender Identity Clinic
You can also self-refer to these gender clinics (except for Nottingham and Sheffield). There is detailed information about how to make a self-referral on the websites of the clinics.
As you have free choice of which clinic you will be referred to, you might want to look at our tips for Choosing A Gender Service for suggestions on how to make your decision.
If you’re waiting to be seen by one of the gender clinics above, you might be invited to go to one of these services instead:
- East Of England Gender Service (based in Cambridgeshire)
- Sussex Gender Service (based in Sussex)
- TransPlus (based in London)
These services do not accept referrals – you get invited to them if you meet certain criteria. You can find up-to-date information about eligibility criteria on their websites.
If you are registered with a GP in a specific area, you may have additional options:
- Cheshire and Merseyside: Transcend
- Greater Manchester: Indigo Gender Service
Check the website of each service for detailed information about whether you are eligible to access the service.
I’m registered with a GP in Northern Ireland
People aged 17 or under can only be referred to the Knowing Our Identity service.
People aged 18 or over can only be referred to the Brackenburn Clinic.
I’m registered with a GP in Scotland
People aged 17 or under can only be referred to the Gender Service for Young People at Sandyford.
People aged 18 or over are seen by different clinics based on which GP surgery they are registered with.
Look up which Health Board your GP surgery is part of. You can find information about how to find your local Health Board on our Local Health Organisations page.
Gender clinics will accept patients from these areas:
- Edinburgh Chalmers: patients registered with a GP in NHS Borders, Fife or Lothian Health Boards.
- Glasgow Sandyford: patients registered with a GP in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Ayrshire & Arran, Dumfries & Galloway, Western Isles, Forth Valley and Lanarkshire NHS Boards and from the Argyll & Bute area.
- Highland Gender Identity Service: patients registered with a GP in NHS Highland only.
- Aberdeen: patients registered with a GP in Grampian, Orkney, and Shetland Health Boards only.
Due to the long waiting times, some Integrated Care Boards in England have started to fund bridging prescription clinics. These are clinics where GPs will, if it’s appropriate for you, prescribe you hormone therapy whilst you wait to be seen by an NHS gender clinic.
For example, people in the London Borough of Southwark can access The Bridge.
These types of clinic are still rare – your local support group will be able to tell you if there’s one in your area.
British citizens are able to access the NHS and HSC gender services for free.
Patients in Wales being referred to gender services for children and young people will need to ask their GP to apply for funding from their local Health Board.
You may be able to get help with the cost of travelling to attending appointments at NHS or HSCNI gender services. Further information about travel costs can be found:
- on the NHS website (valid across the whole of the UK)
- on the Welsh Government website (Wales only)
- on the NHS Inform website (Scotland only)
- on the NI Direct website (Northern Ireland only)
More information about travel funding is also available on the Tavistock and Portman GIC website.
At TransActual, we think it is not possible to meaningfully estimate how long you will be waiting.
Tomorrow, patients at gender clinics could be seen less quickly because:
- the NHS or government announce new requirements for diagnosis or treatment that mean each patient takes longer to “diagnose” and treat
- staff at the clinic leave for other jobs and replacements cannot be found quickly
- funding for services is cut
But, no-one knows what’s going to happen in the future. There also could be changes that mean patients are seen much more quickly:
- New NHS gender clinics could be announced, taking patients off of the wait list in your area and shortening the wait list
- More transition care could be taken over by local GPs, freeing up gender clinic time to see more patients sooner
- The NHS could announce new procedures for gender clinics that mean that less appointments are needed
This means we think no-one can give you an accurate estimate of how long you will be waiting – not even the NHS gender clinics.
What we do know is:
- people have already been waiting long enough – some patients have been waiting more than eight years!
- without significant change to NHS gender services, the time that patients have been waiting to be seen will continue to increase at most NHS gender clinics
- the uncertainty about how long people will be waiting means they aren’t able to properly plan their lives or look forward to the future
We know that this problem is avoidable, and that solutions to these problems are possible – they’ve already been used in other countries and even within some areas of the UK already. We continue to urge the Government and NHS to implement the changes that are needed to reduce these waiting times.
If you’re waiting for NHS treatment right now, we have suggestions of how you can handle your wait on our Waiting page.
This is the information published by each gender clinic about their waiting times.
These waiting times indicate how long patients who have just been invited for an appointment have waited for. Remember, you might wait longer to be seen than this – or wait for less time – as the rate at which first appointments are offered can change significantly from month to month.
This information was last updated in October 2024.
When you move to a new area, you’re normally register with a new GP in your new area. If you stop being registered with a GP surgery in the UK nation that your gender clinic is in, you’ll probably need to transfer to a new gender clinic. Contact your existing gender clinic to tell them about your situation.
If you’re moving from the wait list for a Children and Young People’s service to an adult gender clinic, your existing time on the waiting list will be taken into account.
However, if you’re moving from the wait list for an adult gender clinic to another one, some NHS gender clinics will not consider your existing wait. This means that they may put you at the very beginning of their wait list. The following gender clinics have publicly said they don’t do this, and will honour your original referral date if you transfer onto their waiting list.
- Cardiff – Welsh Gender Service
- Edinburgh – Chalmers Gender Identity Clinic
- Glasgow – Sandyford Gender Identity Clinic
- Manchester – Indigo Gender Service
- Inverness – Highland Gender Identity Service
- London – The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust: Gender Identity Clinic for Adults
This information was based on information on the websites of the services when it was last checked, but you may wish to confirm what rules would apply to you by contacting the gender service yourself before arranging a transfer to them.
On the TransActual website, we have more information about gender clinics:
- Choosing a gender clinic
- Private care options (including private gender clinics)
- Getting referred to a gender clinic
- Waiting to be seen at a gender clinic
- First appointments at a gender clinic
You can find research studies about UK gender clinics on our Research page.
You can also find information on other sites:
NHS England: How to find an NHS Gender Identity Clinic
Errors or omissions
Is there something missing from this page? Have you spotted something that isn’t correct? E-mail info@transactual.org.uk to let us know.
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This page is based on information originally posted on genderkit.org.uk with permission.
A disclaimer: TransActual do not provide medical, health, or legal advice. The content of this page is intended for information purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from a medical professional. It is not a substitute for advice from a legal professional. We strongly suggest you consult a healthcare professional or legal professional for specific advice about your situation. TransActual do not advocate or recommend the purchase of any specific product and we do not endorse or guarantee the credentials or appropriateness of any health care provider, any product or any provider of legal services.
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