There’s a myth that trans children and young people are somehow fast tracked into medical transition. However, that couldn’t be further from the case. (1/n)
The waiting time for GIDS is 2+ years. Then if there is parental consent (unless the young person is over 16), there’s at least a year of assessment. If appropriate, puberty blockers are then prescribed. By the way, puberty blockers have been in use for more than 30 years.(2/n)
After further assessment and if appropriate, trans young people aged 16 or over are prescribed hormones. But only if they’ve already been on blockers for a year. (3/n)
As for surgery, that’s only for over 18s. So there’s the long wait to be seen by an adult gender identity clinic, a number of assessment appointments (quite far apart due to the strain on the UK’s GICs). (4/n)
Then when a GIC agrees to refer an ADULT for surgery, it can take 2-3 months for them to send the letter. Then there’s the wait for consultation with the surgeon - that varies depending on the type of surgery but generally 3-6 months. (5/n)
Then if surgery is suitable for the individual ADULT, it’s onto the surgeon’s waiting list - depending on the surgery this can be anything from 3 months to more than a year. (6/end)
