FSRH Consultation Response: Specialised Gender Identity Services for Adults by NHS England

FSRH responds to NHS England’s consultation on Specialised Gender Identity Services for Adults in England. The aim of the consultation is to collect feedback on proposals for new service specifications that describe how specialised gender identity services for adults will be commissioned and delivered.

NHS England welcomed feedback on two service specifications: one that describes the proposals for non-surgical interventions, and another that describes proposals for the service and interventions that will be delivered by designated surgical units.

NHS England aims at establishing a model of delivery that ensures that individuals who use specialised gender identity services receive high quality of care in terms of access, experience and outcomes. According to NHS England, the Women and Equality Select Committee inquiry on Transgender Equality concluded that current service delivery is often characterised by inconsistent clinical protocols, inequitable access arrangements and out-dated approaches to service delivery.

FSRH’s response focuses on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care delivery, especially contraceptive services, for transgender and non-binary people. FSRH submitted its newly-launched clinical statement “Contraceptive Choices and Sexual Health for Transgender and Non-Binary People (16th October 2017)”, which provides guidance on contraceptive choices for transgender and non-binary people and their partners who are engaging in vaginal sex where there is a risk of pregnancy. The statement also offers general sexual health advice for these groups.

FSRH’s new clinical statement on SRH care for transgender and non-binary people is a pioneering piece of work in this area. The clinical guidance in this statement is largely informed by consensus of experts in this field to support healthcare professionals in providing a high standard of contraception and sexual health care for these groups. FSRH hopes the guidance will help inform NHS England on how to best design services that are adequate for this specific population group.

You can access the clinical statement on this page.