Trans healthcare is often the subject of debate by those outside of the trans community. We regularly hear comment from those who feel they have a say in how and to what degree trans people should be able to access care, even though they are not personally impacted.
At GenderGP we believe that what truly matters are the voices of the community, those who are either directly impacted because they are trans, or those who are indirectly affected, because a loved one, friend or colleague is trans and they want to lend their support.
In the lead up to the hearing of Dr Helen Webberley, founder of GenderGP, we reached out to the community to gather these first hand accounts of the difference that our approach to gender affirming care has made.
Here we amplify those voices, so that they can be heard.
Claire
We asked to be referred to the GIDS when my trans daughter wanted to transition and we wanted information and guidance. We were referred in 2018 when she was under 18. We then had to transfer to the adult service once she turned 18 but had still not had any assessments. We have still not heard anything from the NHS service as to when a first appointment will be.
My daughter has been suicidal because she felt trapped in the wrong body and wanted help.
We looked up about gender healthcare services and continually found brilliant reviews for GenderGP. We found that they offered lots of information that we could look through at our own pace.
There is no other service available to support people from the NHS and people should have the freedom to choose their help and where they get it from. We back Dr Webberley 100%.
Young Voice
Anon
GenderGP have saved my child’s life – he’s gone from repeated suicide and self harm attempts to nothing in the time he has been on testosterone. We feel like we have our old child back and we can all see a future for him. Everyone who has worked with him ie. CAMHS, education and social care can see the transformation which has been nothing short of miraculous.
Young Voice
Anon
Our family experience of the NHS health provisions in relation to transgender health is nonexistent as the current delays in seeing a professional are ridiculous.
My experience with Dr. Helen Webberley is in relation to accessing support for my transgender child through GenderGP. We have used the services of her clinic, and in a sea of murky waters she provides an island of knowledge and safety.
The system is methodical and takes time to navigate through the various gates to obtain medication. I guess this is to ensure that the right people are supported and the system cannot be abused. However, for our family it was slow at times and caused stress as a result.
Leah
Dr Helen Webberley is a beacon of light. Due to my NHS waiting time I fell into a dark place, and Dr Helen Webberley was there to help us during our times of need.
Anon
The current state of NHS healthcare for trans people is ridiculous and straight up offensive. We are told to wait for years on end without any progress updates, clear communication from the GIC, mental health support in the meanwhile, or any help from our GPs. It’s absolutely unbelievable and somehow the government and the NHS has managed to jeopardize the lives of so many people. I went to my GP at the time in 2017 to be referred to a GIC however my doctor, despite attending years of medical school, had no idea what to do, and in the end, my referral was never sent, and I was left waiting for years without knowing what to even do.
Dr Helen Webberley’s service has saved so many lives and made transitioning entirely possible from our homes, without feeling degraded, misunderstood and ignored. I am so thankful that I get to access her service and be treated as a human whilst having my medical needs considered.
Although I am upset that the current state of trans healthcare is so utterly useless that we as a community have to use private services just to be taken seriously, I am so so so happy that GenderGP exists. It’s a reliable service with so many qualified doctors and therapists and I feel so safe and understood. Dr Webberley is one of the few doctors in the UK who have taken trans healthcare seriously and I very appreciate her help and support throughout the years.
Rachel
I was recommended to check out GenderGP and Helen Webberley through my new counsellor who specialised in trans issues. I researched online and made contact. Simply put, I was treated like an adult, I was listened to and offered help. I wrote of my life experiences, of my feelings and requirements. I spoke with an independent counsellor who was able to assess my situation. I undertook blood tests and was consequently confirmed via diagnoses that I was indeed suffering from Gender Dysphoria and that I would be able to seek treatment and support via GenderGP if I so desired. This whole system was set up to believe me and my story, to treat me as an informed adult and to understand that this was my life and my decision. I found multiple sources of information and similar people/stories and if I so desired could immerse myself more fully in this support network. And as a consequence, my life is changing. I continue counselling locally to assist me with this process. I have no defined end point but I have a path that I can follow until I feel I am at a point where I can finally exist in my full truth. This has only been possible because Helen sought to help those she saw were being missed by the system. And in my experiences under her care, I have witnessed care, concern, assistance, professionalism and inclusion to a community that was not possible in normal life. I have never personally met Helen but I would feel a gross injustice has been dealt to her by the general medical council and that shame should be directed back to those responsible. Helen has obviously taken a risk with her own life to help others who are already suffering under an inadequate and antiquated part of the healthcare system.
She should be honoured and praised for the incredible sacrifices and dedication to advancing trans health care in this country.
I am more than happy and willing to state this publicly and stand by my support for her, for her actions and for GenderGP.
Evallyn
To be honest if it wasn’t for GenderGP I would have died.
That’s not an over exaggeration either. The lack of care and willingness to care and help in the NHS would have ended my life. Even to this day I still haven’t been given an appointment for a GIC referral. Not once. The care that I have received at GenderGP has been the top of its industry. And should be the standard of transgender healthcare in the UK, they do not make me jump through hoops like a circus monkey to prove to them I am who I say I am.
I thankfully don’t receive such backwards and thinly veiled transphobic treatment with GenderGP. I don’t need to prove something. They believe and trust me to know this is right for me and I trust and believe they’ll make the correct medical choices for me, without a doubt.
Anon
I did my research on Helen, and it hasn’t put me off in the slightest. She seems kind and passionate about helping people like me, and we need more Doctors like that in this world, the service is absolutely amazing, and the emotional support and understanding from everyone I have spoken to there, are very much how Helen was hoping the service would be. I am so glad she didn’t give up and however this service is running, even without her, it is a true testament to her. She has already saved so many lives just by the service being available. There are some people who have never been different in their lives, and they will not understand, but just because you do not understand something it doesn’t mean it is wrong.