Scottish NHS to "fast-track" irreversible surgery for trans patients

Scotland's NHS service is planning to fast-track irreversible medical surgeries for people who believe they are the opposite sex, documents seen by The Telegraph show.

A report by NHS Scotland suggests "barriers" to "gender reassignment surgery" need to be removed and operations made more widely available, amid surging demand.

The report includes a suggestion that GPs, rather than specialists, be allowed to send patients for procedures, and says a “single opinion” is enough to refer for surgery in most cases.

Dr David Bell, a consultant psychiatrist and whistleblower at England's controversial gender identity service for children, said it was “very troubling indeed” to see the Scottish moving in this direction:

"The attention of ministers seems to be more captured by groups representing an ideological movement, than those that represent an objective scientific approach to these matters", he commented.

“It is never a doctor’s job to affirm or not affirm, it is a doctor’s job to understand. That means understanding the narrative of a patient’s life, their childhood, [and] how they developed".

“We have an ethical duty towards young people and adults not to treat things at face value. That is something that is completely incompatible with a proper clinical approach", he said.

Trina Budge, a director with the For Women Scotland campaign group, said that surgeries on healthy bodies should not be seen as a “quick fix” and that there was no proof they resolved gender dysphoria.

“This now appears to be a service to fast-track surgeries selected by the patient, to satisfy how they wish to look, rather than any professional or clinical attempt to address a mental health issue".