{{Short description|Welsh gender clinic}} {{use British English|date=April 2020}} {{use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox organisation | name = Welsh Gender Service | full_name = | logo = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | predecessor = | merged_into = | successor = | formation = 2019 | extinction = | status = | purpose = Gender identity services in Wales | professional_title = | headquarters = St David's Hospital, Cardiff | location = | origins = | leader_title = Clinical Director | leader_name = Dr Sophie Quinney | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | board_of_directors = | key_people = | main_organ = | parent_organisation = | subsidiaries = | secessions = | affiliations = NHS Wales | budget = | budget_year = | revenue = | revenue_year = | disbursements = | expenses = | expenses_year = | endowment = | endowment_year = | num_staff = | num_staff_year = | num_volunteers = | num_volunteers_year = | website = {{URL|https://cavuhb.nhs.wales/our-services/welsh-gender-service/}} | remarks = | former_name = | footnotes = | bodystyle = }}
The '''Welsh Gender Service''' ('''WGS''') is a gender identity clinic that specialises in gender-affirming healthcare for transgender and gender diverse adults in Wales. It was launched in 2019 by Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething.
== History == Campaigners had been petitioning for a Welsh specific clinic for years, due to a number of issues.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-03-14 |title=Transgender Action Plan to tackle barriers to equality |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-35802600 |access-date=2025-05-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> This included GPs being unable to directly refer patients to the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust's clinic in London,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-02-20 |title='Contorted' route to get transgender help in Wales |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-35615760 |access-date=2025-05-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> causing some patients to wait over a year for their referral to be made.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2017-08-25 |title=Wales' first transgender healthcare clinic set for Cardiff |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-41039283 |access-date=2025-05-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Campaigners argued a Welsh clinic would free up capacity at the London clinic, lowering wait times. Patients also complained of the long travel times to be seen for appointments that lasted only half an hour.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-10-25 |title=Transgender people 'waiting four years' to see specialist |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-37762169 |access-date=2025-05-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Royce |first=Lydia |date=2019-08-23 |title='It is going to change lives' - Wales Gender Service clinics to begin |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/welsh-gender-clinic-trans-london-16803515 |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}</ref>
In 2017 Health Secretary Vaughan Gething first announced plans for a Welsh specific transgender healthcare clinic. An interim service was due to start that year, with hopes that the clinic would accept new referrals at the end of March 2018.<ref name=":0" />
In September 2018 a specialist GP service opened to transgender patients seeking hormone replacement therapy in Cardiff and Vale. The Welsh Government explained that they choose the health board due to the majority of patients waiting for medication living in the area. Gething claimed the Welsh Gender Team would begin seeing new patients in October.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-08-17 |title=Transgender patients to get prescriptions from specialist GP |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45223194 |access-date=2025-05-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Delays caused the planned opening date to be moved to April 2019,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-05-19 |title=Gender clinic: Anger over transgender service delay |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-48093698 |access-date=2025-05-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> only to be delayed again until September.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-07-08 |title=First Welsh gender identity clinic to open in September |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-48907744 |access-date=2025-05-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> The service began its first clinic on the 20th of September 2019, in St David's Hospital. The service began offering patients previously referred to London the option of being seen in Cardiff.<ref name=":1" />
In 2022 the Welsh Gender Service opened a satellite clinic for North Wales patients in Holywell Community Hospital.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shopland |first=Norena |date=2024-02-04 |title=The Welsh County LGBTQ+ Timeline Collection – LGBTQ Cymru |url=https://lgbtqcymru.swansea.ac.uk/2024/02/04/the-welsh-county-lgbtq-timeline-collection/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
=== Structure === The Welsh Gender Service is run by the Welsh Gender Team, which consists of consultants, speech and language therapists, gender clinicians and clinical psychologists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Speech therapy supports people to become their true selves |url=https://sbuhb.nhs.wales/news/swansea-bay-health-news/speech-therapy-supports-people-to-become-their-true-selves/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Swansea Bay University Health Board |language=en}}</ref> In addition, there are Local Gender Teams based in each health board across Wales.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-08 |title=New Welsh Gender Service announced {{!}} GOV.WALES |url=https://www.gov.wales/new-welsh-gender-service-announced |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=www.gov.wales |language=en}}</ref><ref name="m159">{{cite web |last1=Hafford-Letchfield |first1=Trish |last2=Willis |first2=Paul |last3=Toze |first3=Michael |date=2024-07-05 |title=Trans and Gender Diverse Ageing in Care Contexts: Research into Practice |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/book/119035 |access-date=2025-10-04 |publisher=Bristol University Press}}</ref> The Local Gender Teams enable patients to be seen closer to their home, reducing the need to travel repeatedly to the clinic in Cardiff.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-26 |title=Welsh Gender Service |url=https://111.wales.nhs.uk/localservices/ViewLocalService.aspx?id=58869&s=Sexual%20&%20Reproductive%20Health |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=111.wales.nhs.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref>
GPs are give the option to sign up to the Local Enhanced Service, enabling them to take over patient's hormone prescriptions. If a patient's GP has signed up, the WGS will refer them to their GP to begin hormone treatment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hormone Treatment for Adult Transgender Patients in Primary Care Local Enhanced Service Specification |url=https://cavuhb.nhs.wales/about-us/governance-and-assurance/freedom-of-information/disclosure-log/2024/months/may/16-c-amp-v-transgender-les-2023-2024-pdf/ |access-date=2025-05-11}}</ref>
The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board contracts Umbrella Cymru to support provide support for anyone referred to WGS. This support is provided by helping patients with name changes, and sign posting them to relevant organisations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Petition title: Increase funding for Gender Identity Clinics in Wales |url=https://business.senedd.wales/documents/s120864/Research%20Brief.html?CT=2 |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=business.senedd.wales}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=RECRUITMENT PACK | url=https://www.umbrellacymru.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Service-Administrator-2023.pdf | access-date=2025-05-11}}</ref>
The clinic refers patients to England for surgical options.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-09-26 |title=How transgender people are accessing gender health care services in rural mid-Wales |url=https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/how-transgender-people-are-accessing-gender-health-care-services-in-rural-mid-wales-725008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320221733/https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/how-transgender-people-are-accessing-gender-health-care-services-in-rural-mid-wales-725008 |archive-date=20 March 2025 |access-date=2025-05-11 |work=Cambrian News |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Clinics in the United Kingdom Category:Transgender health care Category:Transgender history in the United Kingdom