As the commissioner of gender identity services, NHS England has published two proposed service specifications for a 12-week public consultation covering both surgical and outpatient interventions for adults (here defined as 17 years and over). The specifications were informed by the outcome of a stakeholder engagement workshop held in the New Year.
The specifications propose how specialised gender identity services for adults should be commissioned and delivered in the future, pending the outcome of the consultation. The finalised proposals will be used in a national process of procurement later in the year to determine which organisations are best placed to provide these services in the future in accordance with the new specifications.
Before completing the survey, readers are referred to the consultation guide and the two service specifications:
The consultation is open until the end of September.
During the consultation period, NHS England will be attending a range of community events and on 6 September a public workshop will be held in central London.
Readers will no doubt also have seen in the weekend’s press controversial Conservative proposals to enable adults to change their gender legally without a doctor’s diagnosis.
We understand that changes to the law will be consulted on and will ultimately be included in a planned Gender Recognition Bill, set to be published in the autumn. We will blog further when details become available.