For a more comprehensive guide on how to access medical transition as a trans person, we recommend a guide from the trans charity Trans Actual, that provides support and information for both trans people and professionals.
Healthcare pathways mapping
Accessing health care as a trans person can feel overwhelming, especially when it’s transition related health care. The first steps usually involve contacting your GP and asking them to make you a referral to your nearest Gender Dysphoria Clinic/Gender Identity Clinic, or seeking services from a private clinic.
Support from your GP
Generally you will need your GP to refer you to a Gender Identity Clinic, which they can do by filling the relevant form. This will place you on their waiting lists and you will be contacted in due course. It is worth noting that waiting lists for GICs has increased dramatically in recent years – spanning between 5-7 years in some places – so it is generally better to get on their waiting lists sooner rather than later.
GPs can also assist with shared care, or by issuing a bridging prescription. If you have been prescribed hormone treatment by a private service, you can ask your GP to make a shared care agreement. This means your GP can take over responsibility of prescribing you hormones and handling your blood tests.
A GP can also issue you a bridging prescription, which means they can prescribe you hormone treatment to bridge the gap between the referral to a GDC/GIC and a being seen by them. This is done to prevent harm to a person whose mental and physical health might suffer from being on a waiting list for a long time.
For more information about what sort of support your GP can provide you with, we recommend Trans Actual’s guide on support from your GP.
Gender Identity Clinics/Gender Dysphoria Clinics
Services may vary between clinics, but their primary purpose is to provide assessment for hormone treatment and referring to gender affirming surgeries or treatments for trans people across the UK. Many also offer more support, such as counselling, peer support and speech therapy. For a list of clinics and information about their services, you may find Trans Actual’s guide on medical care for trans people in the UK to be helpful.
Private Clinics
There are several private clinics that can be accessed across the UK, which have much shorter waiting times and can provide trans people with services much quicker. However they do involve having to pay for your care, which is not available to everyone. For more information about private clinics, you may find Trans Actual’s guide on how to access them helpful.
Waiting lists at NHS GICs
At the moment waiting times for gender affirming care are incredibly long – spanning anywhere from 3-7 years depending on which GIC you are referred to. Getting a referral as soon as possible is important as you will have to wait a long time for services. You can find more information about waiting lists here.
Importance of supported and safe care
Due to the situation in the UK and beyond, some trans people are resorting to DIY hormones, i.e. buying them off the internet without any medical care associated. This can be dangerous as you cannot be guaranteed what medicine you are actually getting, and you are not under the care of a medical professional.
It is important that whatever choices you make that you get access to care and help to reduce risk and harm. There are some clinics in the UK that do offer health care check-ups and conversations around hormones, such as CliniQ in London. There are also support groups across the UK which you can access, where you can discuss this without shame and further marginalisation.
Page last reviewed:
February 2025