Transgender Forum

Lack of funding certainly does not make a person speak badly to another. They still get paid and the lack of funding is usually passed on towards treatment side of things. The workers will still be paid their contracted stuff (If not they can strike &/or cost the department more money by going to a tribunal), then whatever is left can fund a clients councilling/HRT/Surgery...

Seems I'm the latest victim of this policy.

It's pretty shoddy that I didn't learn my appointment had been cancelled until I announced my arrival at the reception desk; especially given that it required a hotel stay to ensure I was there in time, considering it was first thing.

So they rescheduled my appointment, obviously as a low priority as I have to wait another two months. Which is also unwelcome as it was supposed to be my surgical referral, and the queue is growing exponentially due to the crisis they're having there too.

I have to wonder if this is personal to me when I consider the sheer number of delays, cancellations, excuses and now this.

There is now a petition led by an MP to sort this shambles out and we will again be raising it on Monday. In the VLOG.

Love it if you could join us in the chat room even if you can't do skype? But you could do Skype Audio and no video I could put a phone image up for your face :)x

I think more need to talk about this and share the distress.

It is getting serious now not least the inconvenience of travelling and lack of surgeons.

It is like having one 2 Heart Surgeons in the UK - its ridiculous! Society would not tolerate that and as confidence grows more trans are coming out. This is going to be an avalanche at any time! The straw that broke the camel's back the one flak of snow that starts an avalanche that buries a village in the alps - this is happening right now!

I'm still not sure I have the confidence to do the video thing (and I'm usually half-asleep by 9:30pm, which is the main reason for my lack of participation: I seem to have become an early-riser in my old age!) but now that I have the webcam you suggested, I may pester you at some point! I guess that would be a start.

It is an utter shambles, though. I guess as is the problem in any large organisation, nobody is ever held to account for anything at all. I'll talk to PALS and make a formal complaint, but I know I'll get absolutely nowhere because nobody cares and there are more people who have a vested interest in derailing complaints than are motivated to resolve them, which has been my previous experience of doing so (not with a GIC, for the record). It is pretty appalling that someone actually has to travel to their appointment, often with time off work and accommodation expenses, just to be told "you don't have an appointment today. Whatevs. Better luck next time."

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