Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce wait times for adult gender services.

We know that waiting times for these services are far too long and we are determined to change that. NHS England has increased the number of adult gender services in England from seven to 12, with the rollout of five new adult gender pilot clinics since July 2020. The rollout of these clinics is helping to tackle long waiting times.

NHS England is currently carrying out a review of adult gender services, with the aim of producing an updated service specification. The review, which is chaired by Dr David Levy, will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients.

To support those facing long waits, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced, on 15 September, that the Department will tender for a new pilot. This will provide those on waiting lists for adult gender services in the South West region of England with access to support and information before appointments, including digital mental health support and community-based services. A national rollout will be subject to the outcome of the pilot.