Our Services

Leeds Gender Identity Service

Introduction

Leeds Gender Identity service offers assessment and support to people with gender dysphoria who wish to explore the possibility of transition into their true gender role. The service provides assessment stages which allow the team to consider the diagnosis of gender dysphoria and a further diagnosis of Transsexualism. The team use a holistic assessment tool which includes looking at mental, social and physical health. Once the assessment stages have been completed including the conformation of a diagnosis, and the service user is ready to move forward with treatment, the care pathway can then be considered. The care pathway includes a prescribing clinic that can initiate hormone treatment, Voice workshops and can refer appropriate clients for 2^nd opinions and core gender reassignment surgery.

For more information regarding the assessment stages and the care pathway options please Click here

The service accepts referrals from across the North of England. We have commissioning agreements in place with NHS England who enable the team to provide a service to those individuals living within this area who wish to access assessment and possible treatment.

Our team consists of:

· 7 clinical nurse specialists who see clients through the assessment process and act in the role as lead professional to those clients moving into the care pathway.

· A doctor with special interest in endocrinology. The doctor is responsible for the running of the prescribing clinic. She sees clients referred for hormone treatment initially for assessment and if all is well will initiate hormone treatment, the service request that blood tests are completed by the individuals GP practice to ensure safe prescribing can occur. Once an individuals hormone levels are stable the client will be transferred to their GP for continued hormone prescription.

· A pharmacist who has a dual role within the service. She works alongside the prescribing clinic providing support when needed and seeing clients on a 1:1 basis for counselling in relation to hormone treatment. The pharmacist also has a none medical prescribing role, seeing clients in the prescribing clinic for the initiation of hormone treatment. It would be expected that the individual’s GP would take over this role once hormone levels are stable.

· A voice group facilitator who provides eight group sessions for trans women to help support individuals using their voice in a way which will provide clients with confidence while living in their chosen gender role. A Transman workshop is also provided twice a year.

· An occupational therapist who has a dual role within the service. She acts as a lead professional to a specified group of clients and also takes OT specific referrals. Again the OT will see clients through the assessment process and provide support to those moving into the care pathway.

· A clinical team manager who oversees the day to day management of the service and provides line management to the nursing/ occupational therapy team.

· A team administrator who provides administrative support to all the clinicians and acts as first point of contact to clients accessing the service.

· 2 consultant psychiatrists who provide input into the assessment period and will be involved in all client review appointments. They are responsible for diagnosis, referrals into different branches of the service e.g. hormone treatment and surgical interventions.

Referrals

The team request a positive referral from the clients GP, this shows the GP is in support of their client accessing specialist service intervention and shows commitment to shared care arrangements for hormone treatment.

A second positive referral is also needed from the client’s local sector Psychiatry team this would provide us with a tentative diagnosis, a mental health assessment and provide contact into mental health services if the client needs support by their local area while attending the Gender Service.

If you would like more information about the referral process please click here

FAQs

Please click here - to view the frequently asked questions. This document covers questions such as:

- What standards of care are followed by the service?

- What is Social Gender Transition?

- How long will it take me to move through the care pathway?

- How long will I need to wait to be seen once I have been referred?

Commonly used medication

Anti-androgens

To reduce the Male biological sex characteristics this can be used to block the effects or reduce the levels of the biological sex hormone.
Leuprorelin is usually used for this.

Oestrogens

Oestrogens are female hormones, they will cause the body to develop female characteristics, however they will not cause the reversal of all masculine features.

Androgens

Androgens will create characteristics of the opposite gender. They are male hormones and will cause the body to develop male characteristics; however they will not cause the reversal of all feminine features.