Trans People are losing access Essential Healthcare

Pink white and blue transgender flag

We are posting this today to raise awareness of the grave and harmful situation many trans and non-binary people in Sheffield and thousands across England find themselves in. 

At Andro & Eve we are working hard behind the scenes to raise awareness of this issue with elected officials, but we wanted to take some time to raise awareness more widely and encourage allies to stand up for trans healthcare. Actions you can take can be found at the end of this post.

Transgender adults taking HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) are being forced to medically detransition by local GP practices, resulting in medical neglect of the transgender community.

This is not a new issue and has been ongoing for some time now. Adults who have been assessed and diagnosed through NHS pathways and have been receiving hormonal medication for years without issue, are now having their prescriptions stopped. Many GP practices are claiming this is an ‘additional service outside of their expertise’ and that GICs (Gender Identity Clinics) should prescribe. GICs, however, as a secondary care provider, have consistently stated that prescribing falls under the responsibility of a patient’s primary care provider i.e. GPs. 

Two weeks ago in Sheffield, in a particularly shocking example, one GP practice wrote to all their transgender patients to say they would no longer be prescribing HRT. This is particularly outrageous, given that cisgender adults taking these hormones for hormone differences or menopause are not having these medications removed from them. It is a case of wilful transphobia and medical neglect of the transgender community.

This medical neglect is dangerous for trans people, and is likely to cause huge impacts on trans peoples’ mental and physical health **  It is unacceptable that transgender adults, who will have already endured unacceptably long waiting times to access gender affirming care, are then having this care stopped by GP’s. With increasing numbers of GP’s ceasing treatment, trans people in Sheffield and elsewhere are being left with nowhere to turn for their healthcare. 

There are different reasons for the cessation of HRT prescriptions for trans people. These include guidance that was issued wrongly by the Royal College of GP’s (RCGP) in 2024 that was then updated, (read more about this via TransActual). Misinformation that HRT is dangerous, spread by those with transphobic agendas, is also having an impact and also the fact that many GP’s are currently working to rule, short of strike action. Much of these issues stem from a lack of action by the government to tackle the mounting issues in the NHS.

Whatever the reasons, stopping essential healthcare for trans people is unjust, discriminatory and yet another example of how political inaction leads to harms for the most marginalised. 

At Andro & Eve we are working hard behind the scenes to advocate for those affected by these harmful and transphobic practices and will be writing to the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) who oversee NHS patient care for local populations.  

How Can I Take Action?

If you are trans or non-binary and have been refused HRT by your GP, we would encourage you to complete TransActual’s survey. They are collating data in order to advocate on this issue. Trans Actual also have a useful guide ‘My GP is Refusing to Prescribe my HRT’ with steps to take in terms of complaints. Remember, the General Medical Counsel has stated that GP’s

“ must not refuse to provide a patient with medical services because the patient is proposing to undergo, is undergoing, or has undergone gender reassignment.

– General Medical Council

We’d also encourage you to seek support, whether that be from friends or local services or groups. We include a list of local support groups in our regular newsletter and national helplines are listed below. Trans Unite also lists trans specific support. 

If you are not trans but want to take action we would encourage you to write to your local MP. They need to be aware of this issue and the way it is causing distress and harm to those in their constituencies. Trans people should not be discriminated against in this way.

We have attached a template to write to your MP below. If you are in South Yorkshire and write to your MP, please let us know if you get a response and the outcome. 

If you would like to be kept informed of our work on trans liberation, you can subscribe to our Gender Awareness specific newsletter here. 

———

Helplines

Switchboard are the national LGBTQIA+ support line. Call them on 0800 0119 100 or email hello@switchboard.lgbt

Samaritans are available to lend an ear 24/7 Call them on 116 223

Notes

** Trans people who have undergone surgeries rely on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for normal hormone function. With access to HRT, transgender individuals can be at severe risk of decreased bone density, cardiovascular issues and metabolic issues.

Statement on proposed amendments to Equality Act 

Pride Progress flag with 6 stripes and black and brown stripes and trans equality flag, on pink background

Andro and Eve work year round to serve the LGBTQ+ community, working towards queer liberation.

This week, in Pride Month, the Conservative Party announced a pledge that if elected, the Equality Act 2010 would be amended to change ‘sex’ to refer to ‘biological sex’. We will call this announcement what it is, transphobic, discriminatory and dangerous.

The Equality Act 2010 is an excellent piece of legislation that has been effective for 14 years, ensuring the protection of many different people with a variety of protected characteristics (including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation). 

In its current guise, trans people can legally access single-sex services based on their gender. Services can also legally exclude trans people, whether or not they hold a Gender Recognition Certificate, if it is deemed ‘proportionate so as to achieve a legitimate aim’.  

Amendment of the Equality Act is not necessary. Attempts to alter the definition of ‘sex’ reflect a concerning trend towards the rejection of gender identity in favour of strictly biologically defined notions of sex which are both highly essentialist and racialised (Pearce et al., 2020). 

This is regressive and threatens the hard won gains for women’s rights and liberation of the early Feminist movement. It is also part of a growing resistance to sexual and gender rights in the UK (Nash et al., 2021) and is part of an increasingly prominent anti-gender politics (Tudor, 2021). This is further evidenced last month when The Conservative party announced a prohibition of the teaching of gender in schools. This threatens the rights of all citizens.

The intensifying academic, political, and public focus on ‘gender ideology’ and sex-based rights has a significant bearing not only upon the everyday existence of the people most affected – namely trans and gender diverse people, but also on the provision of key services and places of safety for people experiencing gender-based violence (GBV). This includes diverting vital resources and disrupting service delivery for all victim-survivors. 

Political debates centred on gendered spaces incorporate questions regarding trans women victim-survivors’ access to, or eligibility for services such as domestic abuse refuge or rape crisis and their right to live safely. In this, trans women are wrongly constructed as ‘predatory’ and their access to support a threat to (white) cisgender women’s safety (Phipps, 2020). This is despite mounting empirical evidence to strongly counter this false and dangerous claim (see for example, Pain et al., 2021; Stonewall & nfpSynergy, 2018). 

The voices of victim-survivors are woefully absent in this discussion, particularly those of trans and gender diverse people and those who are racially minoritised. These peoples’ views are vital, and their lived experiences of, and safety from, GBV, including domestic and sexual violence, a significant and urgent issue.

Violence against women and girls (including many LGBTQ+ women) is a huge concern that should continue to be challenged. Long term investment is needed to tackle this violence and misogyny. However, it is not necessary to re-define sex in the Equality Act in order for the provision of a range of services supporting diverse needs. Services have been delivering support and intervention to trans and gender diverse victim-survivors for decades without issue or incident. 

In our Gender Awareness Training we talk about transphobia being a set of actions or discourse that end up denying trans people the possibility of living freely, openly and safely in society. This proposed change in legislation would mean trans and gender diverse people could not access many of the services and public spaces that enable their full, safe and meaningful participation in public life. For victim-survivors of violence and abuse, it could also mean a risk to life. 

The Conservatives have had 14 years to address areas in the Equality Act 2010 that they now deem to be problematic, but have chosen not to do so. Now, in the run up to a General Election, the party has chosen to announce this proposal. The fact that it coincides with Pride Month in the UK, demonstrates just how far the fight for equality for all LGBTQ+ people still has to go. We and many others will continue that fight. Gender essentialism and trans exclusion has no place in a modern society and every person has a right to live safely and freely. 

This Pride Month, with a general election on the horizon, we’d encourage you to use your voice, get informed and vote wisely in support of LGBTQ+ rights. Above all, continue to be there for one another through the continued weaponisation of LGBTQ+ identities. 

If you’d like to learn more about developing more gender diverse and transgender inclusive practices within your organisation, please feel free to get in touch about our Gender Awareness Training.

Not Safe to be Me

a pink tile with white writing states ‘It’s not a ban if it has exemptions’ Ban Conversion Therapy.

As a member of LGBT+ Consortium we wholeheartedly support their stance and the position of Stonewall to boycott the ‘Safe to be Me’ conference in response to the Government’s U turns on the banning of conversion therapy here in the UK. Read their full statement here.

A quick recap in case this is news – the Government said they would ban conversion therapy for LGBT+ people. Then last week they said they would not. Then they decided they would, but not for transgender and non binary people. Appalling. 

The ‘Safe to Be Me’ conference was to be the UK’s first global LGBT+ conference bringing together organisations and governments from across the world seeking to advance the rights of LGBTQ+ people. You can read more about it here.

LGBT Consortium have had over 125 LGBTQ+ and ally organisations send their support for the withdrawal from this conference until the UK Government includes transgender people in the ban on conversion therapy. This includes Andro & Eve.

Allies – what can you do? Write to your MP urgently! Ask them to put pressure on the government to reverse this decision and give trans people the same protections as LGB people. The link above will take you to Stonewall’s website where you’ll find a template. Trans rights are under attack here in 2022. Trans and non binary people need your active support now.

We stand with our trans and gender expansive siblings and all those who oppose this injustice. With love, Andro and Eve x

Keep in touch

Sign up to our newsletter to keep up-to-date with our latest news, events and offers.

Donate

Your donation will be used to help us continue to support queer artists and culture. You can also donate through ko‑fi.com/androandeve

  • £ 0.00