Transgender people lose NHS waiting times High Court case

A group of transgender people have lost their legal case against NHS England over waiting times to get seen by a gender specialist.

The two trans adults and two trans children had tried to get the wait times - more than four years in one of their cases - deemed illegal. But a High Court judge ruled on Monday the waiting times are lawful.

The Good Law Project - which helped to bring the legal action - said it would seek permission to appeal.

The four people brought the legal action against NHS England (NHSE) over the waiting time to get a first appointment with a gender dysphoria specialist.

The claimants argued that NHS England was failing to meet a duty to ensure 92% of patients referred for non-urgent care start treatment within 18 weeks.

They said the waiting times were discriminatory, arguing the delays faced by trans people were longer than for other types of NHS treatment.

But the judge dismissed the claim on several grounds.

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Source: BBC News, 16 January 2023