GIDS @TaviAndPort children's Gender Identity Service holds a monopoly leading to 18 month wait for 1st appointment & minimum 3 years to access hormones. In 2016 a 17 year old died: “the young person committed suicide and the GIDS letter was found in the young person’s bedroom”.
The @Taviandport board papers state: "There was a delay in referral arriving from the referrer and a further delay as the referrer had confused us with adult services and waited results of blood tests before responding to our enquiries...
...By the time all paperwork was received, YP was past the stage to be seen by GIDS service before their 18th birthday. A letter was sent to the young person and their family explaining this and that they would need to be referred to adult services....
Sadly, the YP committed suicide and the GIDS letter was found in the young person’s bedroom".
Sadly this is not the only example of death of a young person in the service. There is another in the board papers in 2017.
Sadly this is not the only example of death of a young person in the service. There is another in the board papers in 2017.
May 2017 Death of patient, 15, who had attended 1st appointment at GIDS. Noted that “A detailed risk assessment was not completed nor was the young person seen on her own…Clinicians in the Gender Identity Service each have high caseloads with associated administrative workload”.
One death is too many. There have been 3 since 2016 that we know of, only because they have been published in the board papers. When GIDS website launched their evidence section started by stated there had been 1 suicide ever in the service weeks later this rose to 3, Now deleted
There is one mention of Suicide now on the GIDS evidence base. "suicide is extremely rare". They say this knowing that three young people died in three years. Reviews of two of those deaths revealed inadequacies in the service, identified at board level twitter.com/search?q=tavia…
So if you're at the Tavi and Portman AGM today. Please do ask-Is it morally and ethically right, that GIDS hold a monopoly service for transgender youth care in England and Wales. A monopoly which has led to a broken service & shameful waiting times? @CareQualityComm @NHSEngland
If you are having suicidal thoughts there is help available right now:
Samaritans - 116 123
Papyrus - 0800 068 41 41 (Text 07786 209697)
Childline - 0800 1111 (the number won't show up on your phone bill)
Samaritans - 116 123
Papyrus - 0800 068 41 41 (Text 07786 209697)
Childline - 0800 1111 (the number won't show up on your phone bill)
