Trans people ‘increasingly heading abroad’ for gender surgery due to ‘horrific’ NHS waiting lists

Trans people are increasingly travelling abroad to countries such as Thailand to undergo gender-reassignment surgeries (GRS), with lengthy NHS backlogs resulting in some patients waiting up to 20 years for treatment.

Charities have warned that difficulties in accessing healthcare in the UK harm patients’ mental health and create a “desolate experience” for the trans community.

As a result, there has been a rise in recent years of trans people taking increasingly drastic action by paying thousands to travel to countries such as Thailand, Poland, Spain and Turkey for speedier treatment.

The damning Levy Review, which was published in December, found that waiting times for a first appointment at an NHS adult gender dysphoria clinic are projected to reach 15 years unless there are improvements.

Dr David Levy found that long waiting lists were also driving people to self-source hormone drugs from high-risk online providers abroad, while there was “virtually no other data” available from adult clinics beyond the waiting times.

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Source: The Independent, 26 January 2026