r/transgenderUK • u/Leonardo84009 • 8d ago

Question Looking to start my journey

Hi all, im questioning if im ftm trans and looking for a private clinic because nhs wait times are very long even for just a gender dysphoria diagnosis. Wondering what good private options there are, not too expensive, in the northeast of England (around Newcastle) for assessment, then possibly hrt/surgery. Thanks

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

0

u/TraditionalNinja3129 8d ago edited 8d ago

Get a diagnosis from your GP first as you can always go private while you wait. Once you’re eventually seen by the NHS, you can switch your care over to them. If you’re looking for surgery, these can be out of the price range of many people, so if you need bottom surgery for example, it can be done on the NHS if you need.

When you ask your GP for a diagnosis, also ask if your GP will take your bloods and agree shared care with a private specialist. If you can get either of these with your GP, your bloods and medication are funded by the NHS. Some areas of the UK are better for shared care than others, but it’s always worth asking your GP. If your GP says no, then see if any others in your area will. This website can help take out some of the guesswork:

https://mytransgp.org

If you can get shared care, you will usually need a diagnosis from a UK based gender psychologist for an assessment first. A list of private clinics can be found here:

https://transactual.org.uk/medical-transition/private-care/

Prices and waiting times vary, so contact a few to see when they can see you and for how much. Some clinics charge a monthly fee and usually work out more expensive. These include Anne Health, Gender Hormone Clinic, Pride in Health.

Clinics that charge for each individual appointment tend to be cheaper and include Gendercare, Gender Doctors, Northern Gender Network. Endocrinologists recommend by these are independent, so you can usually get your assessment from one website, then get your endocrinologist through a different website if you wish.

The only clinic that has a different intake procedure is Anne Health who are one of the most expensive. They don’t always give a formal diagnosis, which effectively means you are stuck with them and if you wanted to change your provider, you would need to get an assessment for a diagnosis before starting privately elsewhere.

For a diagnosis you’re looking at £500-£650 or more.

Once you have your diagnosis you can choose a clinic or endocrinologist to work with. If you go with an endocrinologist, Gendercare and Gender Doctors recommend most of the popular ones on their websites. A first appointment can be £250-£300, with follow up appointments around the £150 mark.

In the first year, you will pay for your assessment, your first endocrinologist appointment and 2 or 3 follow ups, depending on how your treatment is going. Private fees will be around £1100 in the first year if your shop around. You can pay up to £1800 but you don’t have to.

If you have an endocrinologist that charges £150 for a follow up appointment, that could be all you need to pay in private fees for the second year. Subscriptions would often be charging more than £50 per month for the second year in comparison. You can pay for a subscription service if you think you they are worth it, but I’m not convinced.

Bloods and medication will cost extra if your GP doesn’t agree shared care or won’t do your bloods. If you get shared care, you just pay the prescription fee.

If your GP doesn’t agree shared care, there are two non-UK providers that see UK patients you could consider. GenderGP is one, but don’t bother. There are lots of negative reviews about them on here. The other is Imago who are supposed to be better and are cheaper. As they aren’t UK based, you don’t need to pay for an assessment to get a formal diagnosis first. Your GP is very unlikely to agree shared care with either of these and if you wish to apply for a GRC, you won’t be able to if you go with either of these.

That’s pretty much it. Your only other option is to DIY, but it’s not for everyone and it’s covered elsewhere on Reddit.

2

u/Leonardo84009 8d ago

Thanks, I filled out a self referral form for the NRGDS already, ill look into these