Jubilee Park Medical Partnership, which runs practices in Carlton and Lowdham, Nottinghamshire has announced that it will stop prescribing vital transgender healthcare to patients, including those currently on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Leaders at Jubilee Park said their decision to withdraw the treatments was made due to a lack of funding and this work "not being part of the GP contract".
However, patients and the wider trans community have argued that trans healthcare is not only a vital right but is also covered under the NHS’s ‘Do No Harm’ principle, and dozens of people attended a protest – organised by Nottingham Against Transphobia – outside Park House Medical Centre in Carlton on Tuesday 31st December 2024 to highlight their outrage and disappointment in this decision.
"I've been so stressed and upset about how I'm going to access healthcare," said Samathy Barratt, who has been receiving oestrogen and testosterone blockers from the practice. "If I weren't to receive testosterone-blocking meds I would experience a reversal of the transitioning effects.
"That would be devastating for my mental health to be forced to de-transition. I'm lucky I haven't had any surgery, if I had there would be significant health risks.”
A spokesperson stated: "Jubilee Park Medical Partnership continues to be very supportive of our transgender patients. This work is more appropriately provided by a specialist as it is beyond the clinical expertise and knowledge of the GPs to provide this service in the way that it should be provided."
There are specialist transgender services commissioned nationally and delivered at gender identity clinics including one in Nottingham, however, they are not allowed to prescribe and monitor medications. Instead, their role is to provide guidance for GPs to carry out such work.
A spokesperson for NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire stated: “Specialist gender dysphoria services are commissioned by NHS England and delivered through specialist Gender Identity Clinics (GICs), including the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.
However, the service does not include the prescribing, supply, and related monitoring of any medications. Instead, currently the GIC will request the GP carry out this element of the patient’s care, with guidance and a management plan from gender specialists. There has been no change to the commissioning arrangements, and we continue to work with local GPs to support patient services.”
Another patient at the practice, Alex Roberts, said that they were informed that they could no longer be prescribed testosterone medication after three years of taking the treatment.
"The impact on mental health is devastating. It would encourage me and other patients to acquire medications through back channels which is not safe."
Without GPs to prescribe vital medications, many trans patients may turn to alternative sources of healthcare; either privately which comes with a high expense, or online where medication may not be safely regulated.
"If I have to do that to preserve my mental health and stay alive then I'm going to do that." Sophie England, who organised the protest said.
She added: "This is a failing GP group which is financially struggling and think they can cut this to save money. If I was a cisgender woman getting the same hormones it would carry on, transgender people should get the same level of care.”
Comments