FOI – 000105 Gender Identity Clinics (GIC) (HTML)

Date received – 04 May 2022: Date responded – 16 May 2022

Request

I write to request information from all Gender Identity Clinics (GIC) under your jurisdiction relating to the number of people on waiting lists for their first appointment between January 2018 and April 2022.

As part of this, I would like the information to be broken down into the following:

(i) The number of people on waiting lists after referral for a first appointment at their GIC since 2018, broken down by year, month, individual clinic, whether the individuals are adults or children, and a grand total;

(ii) The number of GIC referrals received since 2018, broken down by year, each month, individual clinics, whether the individuals are adults or children, and a grand total;

(iii) The number of GIC appointments offered since 2018, broken down by year, each month, individual clinics, whether the individuals are adults or children, and a grand total;

(iv) The number of people seen at a GIC within six months, one year, two years and three years of their referral, broken down into whether the individuals are adults or children, and individual clinics;

(v) The average wait time for an individual's first appointment after a referral, broken down into whether the individuals are adults or children, and individual clinics;

(vi) The longest recorded waiting time for an individual patient, broken down into whether the individuals are adults or children, and individual clinics.

Please provide this information in Excel format.

Response

I can advise you that we have now completed the search of our records and can provide you with the following information:

I write to request information from all Gender Identity Clinics (GIC) under your jurisdiction relating to the number of people on waiting lists for their first appointment between January 2018 and April 2022.

As part of this, I would like the information to be broken down into the following:

(i) The number of people on waiting lists after referral for a first appointment at their GIC since 2018, broken down by year, month, individual clinic, whether the individuals are adults or children, and a grand total;

Under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act an organisation does not require to provide information if it does not hold that information. We are unable to provide this information by month, although the GICs may hold this data. On the attached (Appendix 1), we have included the numbers of patients on the waiting list (‘Waiting List’) for a first appointment by quarter, year, GIC and split by adult service or young people’s service, as reported to us by the GICs. Please refer to the notes page for clarification around the data we hold. We cannot provide grand totals from these numbers.

(ii) The number of GIC referrals received since 2018, broken down by year, each month, individual clinics, whether the individuals are adults or children, and a grand total;

Under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act an organisation does not require to provide information if it does not hold that information. We are unable to provide this by month, though the GICs may hold this data. We have included the numbers of patients referred (‘added to waiting list’) by quarter, year, GIC and split by adult service or young people’s service, as reported to us by the GICs. Please refer to the notes page for clarification around the data we hold.

(iii) The number of GIC appointments offered since 2018, broken down by year, each month, individual clinics, whether the individuals are adults or children, and a grand total;

Under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act an organisation does not require to provide information if it does not hold that information. We are unable to provide this by month, though the GICs may hold this data. We have included the numbers of patients seen at first appointment (‘New patients seen’) by quarter, year, GIC and split by adult service or young people’s service, as reported to us by the GICs. Please refer to the notes page for clarification around the data we hold.

(iv) The number of people seen at a GIC within six months, one year, two years and three years of their referral, broken down into whether the individuals are adults or children, and individual clinics;

Under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act an organisation does not require to provide information if it does not hold that information. We do not hold this information and would recommend you contact the individual GICs or relevant Health Boards for this.

(v) The average wait time for an individual's first appointment after a referral, broken down into whether the individuals are adults or children, and individual clinics;

Under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act an organisation does not require to provide information if it does not hold that information. We do not hold this information and would recommend you contact the individual GICs or relevant Health Boards for this.

(vi) The longest recorded waiting time for an individual patient, broken down into whether the individuals are adults or children, and individual clinics.

Under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act an organisation does not require to provide information if it does not hold that information. We do not hold this information and would recommend you contact the individual GICs or relevant Health Boards for this.

Appendix 1 is attached in both pdf and excel format.

I trust you will find the information of assistance and if you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of how we have dealt with your request, you can make representations to us asking us to review the handling of your request. Please get in touch with us using the below contact details within 40 working days of the date of this correspondence:

Email: nss.foi@nhs.scot

If after a review you are still unhappy, you also have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner, who can be contacted at Kinburn Castle, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS, or via their online application form.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us at the above address.