Joint statement from Cwiar Cymru, LGBTQ+ Network North Wales, Pride Cymru, TransActual, Trans Aid Cymru, Trans Partnership Cymru, Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, Umbrella Cymru, UNIQUE Transgender Network and We Exist
A coalition of organisations representing and supporting trans people and the wider LGBTQ+ community in Wales is calling on Llais, the citizen body for health and social care in Wales, to take urgent action following the decision by the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee to pause referrals for gender-affirming surgeries through the Welsh Gender Service.
We welcome Llais’s public recognition of the significant impact this decision is having on trans people across Wales. However, we are calling for further action to ensure that the decision is properly scrutinised and that the interests and safety of affected patients are protected.
Gender-affirming surgeries are safe and effective procedures supported by substantial clinical evidence. For many trans people, access to gender-affirming surgery is an essential part of their healthcare and can be lifesaving, enabling them to live healthy, fulfilling lives.
We are particularly concerned about the circumstances in which the decision to pause surgeries was made. Given the exceptional nature and potential consequences of the decision, substantial consultation with affected patients should have taken place before it was made.
We are calling on Llais to urgently request a meeting with the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to:
- Raise a formal issue with the Joint Commissioning Committee regarding its decision to pause gender-affirming surgeries and the impact of that decision on patient safety.
- Request that surgeries resume while the investigation is undertaken, rather than leaving patients facing an indefinite pause in access to treatment.
- Support and advocate for a formal investigation into the decision-making processes that led to the current situation.
Llais must use every avenue available to advocate for trans patients and to ensure that NHS Wales is held properly to account for decisions affecting their healthcare.
A spokesperson from Cwiar Cymru said:
“Trans people in Wales deserve safe, evidence-based healthcare and meaningful involvement in decisions that directly affect their lives. A decision of this significance requires transparency, scrutiny and proper engagement with the patients who are affected.
“We are calling on Llais to act urgently: to challenge the decision to pause surgeries, to advocate for their resumption while the circumstances are investigated, and to support a formal investigation into how this decision was reached.”
We look forward to Llais responding to these concerns and taking urgent action on behalf of affected patients.
Signatories
- Cwiar Cymru
- LGBTQ+ Network North Wales
- Pride Cymru
- TransActual
- Trans Aid Cymru
- Trans Partnership Cymru
- Trans+ Solidarity Alliance
- Umbrella Cymru
- UNIQUE Transgender Network
- We Exist
