Hundreds of trans people in UK are being denied hormone replacement therapy by GPs, report finds

An investigation by LGBTQ+ publications has found that over 200 trans individuals in the UK were denied hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by their GPs over the past year.

A summary report from Trans Actual indicates that 215 people were refused hormones, with 26 percent of these cases—56 individuals—having a recommendation from an NHS gender clinic.

These findings come in light of increasing personal accounts of HRT denials shared on social media by trans individuals following the Cass Report and a controversial statement from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

The results, which were provided to QueerAF and What The Trans as part of a wider investigation into HRT refusals, showed that the majority of the 56 individuals were located in England (86 percent), with nine percent in Scotland and five percent in Wales. There was no data recorded for Northern Ireland.

According to ‘MSN’, of those surveyed, 27 percent were seeking a new prescription, while 73 percent had previously been on HRT, and 38 percent had already been discharged by an NHS gender clinic.

Forty-five percent of respondents had been using HRT for over five years, whereas 20 percent had been treated for less than a year. The primary reasons given for refusing prescriptions included GPs feeling unqualified to issue them, a lack of shared policies between local care boards and GPs, and personal beliefs.

Keyne Walker, strategy director at Trans Actual, discussed the issue with QueerAF, noting that some GPs openly admitted their refusals were based on personal beliefs. Walker emphasised that transphobic GPs, particularly in England, are feeling empowered to deny their patients essential medications due to their own biases, suggesting that all parts of the NHS share some responsibility for this situation.

It is believed that many GPs who denied prescriptions felt justified by an RCGP statement from April, which indicated that they are not obligated to provide gender-affirming care.

In further guidance issued earlier this month, the RCGP acknowledged receiving feedback from various organisations and individual GPs following the publication of their revised statement in April. They stated that they had reviewed the feedback and made clarifications to ensure their guidance remained in line with the approved council statement.

The RCGP commented on the complexities of caring for transgender and gender-questioning individuals, expressing a recognition of the experiences of their transgender patients amid ongoing changes and limitations within the healthcare system. They also acknowledged the significant hurt and frustration felt by many trans patients and reiterated their commitment to improving services for those with gender incongruence.

Despite welcoming the clarifications, Trans Actual called for accountability from the RCGP regarding the harm caused by their guidance, emphasising the need for more robust measures to ensure that non-compliant GPs respect the responsibilities associated with prescribing HRT as directed by gender clinics.