My GP had obviously seen my letter (see previous blog) as I received a text message addressed to my new name but I was asked to complete a change of details form before anything else happened.
That was done before the weekend but I did get a follow-up call from one of the office staff asking if I wanted the gender marker changed? I agreed and it means that a whole new NHS number will be generated. I had attempted, whilst at the clinic, to book an appointment but you can only do that by calling at 8am on a weekday.
Today I had 2 phones repeatedly dialling the number until I managed to get into the actual call queue at #50! By the time I finally spoke to a receptionist some 42 minutes had passed. All that could be arranged was a call back from my GP - the same one who apparently lost my gatekeeper psych report!
She called at lunchtime. I first wanted answers to 2 questions I had raised in my letter.
Regarding my request for HRT "I'm not experienced, trained or authorised." I suggested she found someone in our area who is suitably qualified.
Ref my orchidectomy request, apparently the local GU surgeon has refused to deal with me until I'm cleared by a Gender Identity Clinic.
I pointed out that I was 2.5 years away from my 60th, 11 years down from my gatekeeper interview, 30 years down from my realisation that I was trans and half a century from first knowing that I was 'different'.
She tried to raise the issue of the current 'controversy' regarding the London GIC. I pointed out that the media-generated storm is about the teenage division and not the adult division. So, she suggested that I had already waited long enough and she would see if she could bump me up the queue (I won't hold my breath).
I pointed out that I was self-medicating and felt she could either be a part of that and work with me to ensure my health (etc) or not. She didn't answer me other than asking if someone was providing me with prescription medications.
So, it was mostly hot air and no evidence that she wants to make certain I do no harm to myself!
My formal complaint will write itself at this rate.
Comments
GP staff
There is no point dealing with GP's receptionist unless it's to pick up a repeat prescription or sick note, all of them are full of their importance yet have zero medical training or Knowledge and most of the nurses aren't much better.
Receptionists
To be fair to them I haven't had a problem with the receptionists but I have to go through them to reach a GP. Until yesterday's phone call I hadn't spoken to my GP for a year or so but had dealt with reception a few times (successfully). My prescriptions are sent directly to the local Boots so I get a notification from the pharmacy to go & collect.
Shiraz
No contact for over a year?
As a general rule here in the USA, our GP's want to actually see us in an office visit about every six months on average. Is it not the same in the UK?
- Leona
Really?
I suppose your GP wants the fee he or she will get for seeing you. I'm in Kaiser Foundation Health Care, usually just called Kaiser Permanente, and it's prepaid care, so the doctors are salaried and don't make any money for exams, tests, etc. So I get seen when I ask to be seen, which is usually if I'm ill. I can go a couple of years without an office visit. I just had my eyes examined by a Kaiser optometrist and I was last examined in 2015. On the other hand, I do get all immunizations free. Last October I had knee replacement surgery and my share (co-payment) of the $29,000 bill was $5.
Huh.
Well okay. :-)
I guess for me it could also be due to the dual fact that I've been having some health issues lately, and that I use a wheelchair out of necessity with paraplegia. Odd how things like that could make an MD want to see a person more frequently I guess. ;-P *giggle*
(And yea, I've heard of KaiserPerm - been around for a while now ;-) )
- Leona
Ain't the free publicly-funded national healthcare system grand?
And people in other countries wonder why the USA doesn't adopt something similar.
When I made the decision to do something about my Trans nature, I went to my primary care provider (GP) at Kaiser Permanente and asked for an estrogen prescription and she referred me to the "Gender Pathways" clinic. I made an appointment online, went to the appointment en femme like all other doctor appointments for the previous several years. I was interviewed by the doctor there. She asked why I wanted to and I told her about how 20 years earlier I had thought about procuring estrogen through nefarious means, but hadn't done so. She told what I could expect from T blocker and estradiol, the type of estrogen she would prescribe. That was it; informed consent to the meds. I left with two prescriptions. One for Spironolactone and the other for Climara (estradoil). Once a year blood tests and an online interview with the doctor going on five years now.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
The reason is it all comes
The reason is it all comes down to money. If your healthcare insurance covers gender dysphoria. Through my job I have BUPA which does. Not that I am planning to use it. I am diabetic so anything that can be affected by that is not covered, which is eyes, heart, nerves, feet and kidneys.
The problem with the NHS is that it is fire fighting "serious" health problems. The maximum waiting time for suspected cancer is 2 weeks, it is usually less. Things like hip replacements are 18 weeks.
But anyone, regardless of wealth will get free cancer treatment.
How much does chemo cost in America without insurance?
The cost of chemotherapy varies greatly. A major factor is health insurance. Generally, if you have health insurance, you can expect to pay 10 to 15 percent of chemo costs out of pocket, according to CostHelper.com. If you don't have health insurance, you might pay between $10,000 to $200,000 or more.
You don't pay a penny in the UK. A 2009 study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School found 45,000 Americans die every year as a direct result of not having any health insurance coverage.
I would still rather the NHS.
While gender dysphoria is recognized it is seen by many people as "cosmetic surgery". While it is resourced it is not a high priority. I know it can be life or death to a trans person, but the general population are angry about the NHS spending £30k on gender surgery when their mother needs a hip replcement.
Leeanna