Important notes

Waiting time information shown on this page is taken from information given directly to us by the services or published on their website.

Many gender services currently have very lengthy wait lists, and it can be very difficult to be waiting for so long. You can find ways you can get help while you are waiting on our Mental Health page.

Free UK-based services

You can access these gender services for free by asking your GP to make a referral. However, these services have significant waiting lists, and may require a wait of several years before being seen. They will also only accept you as a patient if you are registered with a GP in a specific area.

Service	To be seen (in months)	To get hormones (in months)	Total (in months)
Belfast more info	59
Belfast KOI more info	24
Cardiff more info	12-13	<12	12-25
Edinburgh more info	23
Exeter more info	87	12	99
Glasgow more info	55
Glasgow Youth more info	42
Grampian more info	24	12	36
Inverness more info	29
Leeds more info	53	10	63
London GIC more info	60	10	70
London GIDS more info	Not accepting new patients
London TransPlus more info	<3	<2	<5
Newcastle more info	Not accepting new patients
Northants more info	53	9	62
Nottingham more info	23	11	34
Sheffield more info	62	16	78
The Northern Hub more info	Opening in 2024
The Southern Hub more info	Opening in 2024

Youth services: As of October 2023, the wait status for children and young people’s gender services is:

Information about referrals for under 17s in England and Wales can be found on the Arden and GEM website.

Transfers

NHS gender services vary in how they handle wait times for patients transferring from the wait list of another NHS gender service. The following table shows whether your original referral date will be honoured if you transfer to each service. This information was based on information on the websites of the services when we last checked, but you may wish to confirm what rules would apply to you by contacting the gender service yourself before arranging a transfer to them.

Service	from youth wait list	from any NHS wait list	between UK nations
Belfast more info
Belfast KOI more info
Cardiff more info
Edinburgh more info
Exeter more info
Glasgow more info
Glasgow Youth more info
Grampian more info
Inverness more info
Leeds more info
London GIC more info
London GIDS more info
London TransPlus more info
Newcastle more info
Northants more info
Nottingham more info
Sheffield more info
The Northern Hub more info
The Southern Hub more info

Paid UK-based services

There are also several private gender services which charge fees but which may have significantly shorter waiting lists. You may wish to use these services while on the waiting list for an NHS service. It can overwhelming trying to choose which gender service to be referred to, but you can find useful tips on how to choose on our Choosing a Gender Service page.

• 
  Harley Street Gender ClinicAll ages

  Allows self-referral
• 
  Dr Lenihan18+ only

  Allows self-referral
• 
  Gender Identity SW18+ only

  Allows self-referral
• 
  GenderCare18+ only

  Allows self-referral
• 
  GenderDoctors18+ only

  Allows self-referral
• 
  GenderPlusAll ages

  Allows self-referral
• 
  Kelly PsychologyAll ages

  Allows self-referral
• 
  Northern Gender Network18+ only

  Allows self-referral
• 
  The Gender Clinic18+ only

  Allows self-referral
• 
  The Gender Hormone Clinic18+ only

  Allows self-referral
• 
  YourGP17+ only

  Allows self-referral

Note that while some services will see patients younger than 18 for an assessment, not all will offer hormone therapy. You may wish to contact services to find out if they are willing to prescribe to under 18s before paying money to a service.

Detailed information

Belfast

Brackenburn

https://belfasttrust.hscni.net/service/regional-gender-identity-service/

Northern Ireland residents only

First Seen

59

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Jul '22

Hormones

months additional minimum wait for HRT

Total

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

Belfast KOI

KOI

https://belfasttrust.hscni.net/service/knowing-our-identity/

Northern Ireland residents only

First Seen

24

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Oct '23

Cardiff

Welsh Gender Service

https://gender.wales/

Wales GP only

First Seen

12-13

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Sep '23

Hormones

+<12

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(requested)

Total

=12-25

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

(requested)

Waits for hormone therapy prescribing will usually vary by which NHS Wales Health Board you are part of.

Edinburgh

Chalmers

https://www.lothiansexualhealth.scot/gender-identity-clinic/

Borders, Fife, or Lothian GP only

First Seen

23

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Aug '23

Hormones

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(source)

Total

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

(source)

Exeter

West of England

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/our-services/gender-identity

England GP only

First Seen

87

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Oct '23

Hormones

+12

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(source) - Apr '21

Total

=99

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

(source) - Mar '21

The service is currently focusing resources on people who have already had their first appointment, and while they are accepting new appointments, are not currently seeing patients for a first appointment and do not know when this will resume.

Glasgow

Sandyford

https://www.sandyford.scot/sexual-health-services/gender-dysphoria-service-at-sandyford/gender-adult-service/

Scotland GP only

First Seen

55

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Dec '22

Hormones

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(source)

Total

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

(source)

Glasgow Youth

Sandyford Youth

https://www.sandyford.scot/sexual-health-services/gender-dysphoria-service-at-sandyford/gender-young-people-service/

Scotland GP only

First Seen

42

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Oct '23

Grampian

https://www.ngicns.scot.nhs.uk/gender-identity-clinics/

Grampian, Orkney and Shetland GP only

First Seen

24

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Aug '23

Hormones

+12

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(source) - Aug '23

Total

=36

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

Inverness

Highland GIS

https://www.highlandsexualhealth.co.uk/gender-identity/gender-identity

Highland GP only

First Seen

29

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Oct '23

Hormones

months additional minimum wait for HRT

Total

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

Leeds

https://www.leedsandyorkpft.nhs.uk/our-services/services-list/gender-identity-service/

England GP only

First Seen

53

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Sep '23

Hormones

+10

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(source) - May '23

Total

=63

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

More detailed information about wait times is available on the Leeds GIS website.

London GIC

Tavistock

https://gic.nhs.uk/

UK GP only

First Seen

60

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Aug '23

Hormones

+10

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(source) - Oct '23

Total

=70

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

(source) - Apr '21

London GIDS

Tavistock

https://gids.nhs.uk/

UK GP only

For referrals from Wales, the referring clinician will have to make a funding request to the local Health Board before making a referral.

London TransPlus

http://wearetransplus.co.uk/

Very limited access: more info

First Seen

<3

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

Hormones

+<2

months additional minimum wait for HRT

Total

=<5

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

TransPlus have an in-house pharmacy, so prescriptions for hormones can be filled immediately.

Manchester

Indigo

https://www.indigogenderservice.uk/

Very limited access: more info

This clinic accepts transfers from other clinics only. Wait times will vary.

Merseyside

CMAGIC

https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/liverpool/sexual-health/cmagic-cheshire-and-merseyside-adult-gender-identity-collaborative

Very limited access: more info

This clinic accepts transfers from other clinics only. Wait times will vary.

NCTH EOE

https://www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/east-of-england-gender-service

East of England only

This clinic accepts transfers from other clinics only. Wait times will vary.

Newcastle

https://www.cntw.nhs.uk/services/northern-region-gender-dysphoria-service-specialist-service-walkergate-park/

England GP only

NRGDS is not currently accepting referrals as of Aug 2023 (more information

Northants

Daventry

https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/gic/

England GP only

First Seen

53

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Oct '23

Hormones

+9

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(source) - Oct '23

Total

=62

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

(source) - Jul '21

Nottingham

https://ncth.nhs.uk/

England GP only

First Seen

23

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Oct '23

Hormones

+11

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(source) - Oct '23

Total

=34

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

Sheffield

Porterbrook

http://shsc.nhs.uk/service/gender-identity-service/

England GP only

First Seen

62

months average wait for 1st assessment appt

(source) - Sep '23

Hormones

+16

months additional minimum wait for HRT

(source) - Oct '23

Total

=78

average minimum total time to hormones

Transfers

is original referral date kept for transfers?

(source) - Dec '21

Sussex

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/our-services/specialist-services/sussex-gender-service

Very limited access: more info

This clinic accepts transfers from other clinics only. Wait times will vary.

The Northern Hub

https://www.ardengemcsu.nhs.uk/services/clinical-support/national-referral-support-service-for-the-nhs-gender-incongruence-service-for-children-and-young-people/

UK GP only

For referrals from Wales, the referring clinician will have to make a funding request to the local Health Board before making a referral.

The Southern Hub

https://www.ardengemcsu.nhs.uk/services/clinical-support/national-referral-support-service-for-the-nhs-gender-incongruence-service-for-children-and-young-people/

UK GP only

For referrals from Wales, the referring clinician will have to make a funding request to the local Health Board before making a referral.

References

Errors and omissions

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