FOI – 2024-000332 Gender Identity Clinic Funding (HTML)

Date received – 24 September 2024 | Date responded – 11 October 2024

Request

I was at a GIC appointment a couple weeks ago. I asked about a referral for gender affirming surgery. I was told that NHS Lothian had stopped giving funding for that care and those referrals.

I am looking for information on this and nothing is easily found. Could you point me towards anything about this for more information?

This is absolutely terrible as this is refusing care to a vulnerable group of people. This is outright discrimination based on a report that said nothing about refusing surgery to adults.

Response

We have now completed the search of our records and can provide you with the following information:

National Services Directorate (NSD), a body within NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) works very closely with NHS England commissioners and the Gender Dysphoria National Referral Support Service (GNRDSS) to ensure that patients in Scotland have national funding in place be treated where an appropriate application has been made by their Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) to support this. Patients in Scotland have equity of access to all gender surgical services that are provided in England. This includes masculinising chest reconstruction surgery, feminising genital surgeries and masculinising genital surgeries.

Under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act, 2002 (FOISA) an organisation does not have to provide that information if it does not hold it. NSS do not provide nor commission the Gender Identity Clinic in NHS Lothian, therefore do not hold any information which relates to the NHS Lothian GIC and the clinical services which it provides, or any local policies that are in place. We would suggest that you contact NHS Lothian directly who would be better placed to provide you with the information that you are requesting - foi@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk.

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.

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Contact

Address

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 application form.

National Services Scotland (NSS) is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. You can view all FOI responses within our FOI Publications repository.