Cheshire and Merseyside Adult Gender Identity Collaborative (CMAGIC) in partnership with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust are set to launch a new specialist gender identity service next week.
The pilot scheme, funded by NHS England, is initially set to run for two years, will be available to individuals living in Liverpool, South Sefton, Halton, Knowsley, Southport and Formby, St Helens, Cheshire, Vale Royal, Warrington and Wirral.
The pilot will offer a partnership approach to trans and non-binary (TGNB) care and integrate specialist gender support within primary care and across community groups.
It will offer flexible, tailored support options, assessment for and diagnosis of gender incongruence, hormone therapy (including prescriptions and monitoring), referrals to voice therapy, as well as referrals to surgical providers. The service will work to NHS England’s National Service Specification for gender incongruence services.
The service is one of three new NHS gender incongruence pilots for adults (17 and over) which pulls together clinicians, community groups, and NHS services in providing a community-based approach to improving access to gender identity healthcare.
Speaking of the launch, Anthony Griffin Chair of CMAGIC said: “This launch has been a long time in the making and now we have the opportunity to see the positive impact a localised NHS care pathway for transgender and non binary people can have upon not just reducing waiting times and saving funds. But also on the mental health of the recipients of the service.
“The pathway itself is totally unique and was devised after I myself went through what felt more like a hurdle chase than a service badged under the NHS,
“Our model is designed to take full advantage of all that 21st century’s modern technologies have to offer to support traditional face to face practice. We are certain that along with our partners Mersey Care we can demonstrate that we have a design that works with the patient to giving them the best possible service.
“We would like to thank nhs England for giving us the opportunity to see the idea become a reality and to thank Merseycare for taking on the responsibility of seeing the pilot become operational. Finally a huge thank you to all trans and gender diverse communities across Cheshire and Merseyside who have supported the idea over these many years and to all our colleagues who have stayed involved giving us their valuable time and support to bring the values and principles that underpin CMAGIC into a resource that will serve to give a quality patient experience and access to a service designed to be not only cost effective but quality assured for all its patients.”
To be eligible for the service, individuals must be aged 17+ and registered with a GP in England, on a waiting list for an established NHS gender incongruence service and must not yet have attended their first appointment.
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