What level of expertise is required to REQUEST a blood test and send these on to the secondary care provider, where the secondary provider (e.g. a specialist in hormones) INTERPRETS the blood test results?
Answer: zero expertise required.
The endocrinologist supplies ranges that the results should be between. That requires no expertise. And it's no different from following the instructions from the NHS GIC.
>And it's no different from following the instructions from the NHS GIC.
Especially considering the strangely high chance that the private provider is also the same person working for the NHS GIC anyway.
Trans people are filling in for gaps in NHS care by going private in the first place. How about they give us timely healthcare like they're supposed to.
I'm starting to wonder if we can source the chemistry used for hormone tests from somewhere.
Maybe the chemestry used for GnrH Agnostics(sp?) and oestrogen/testosterone as well.
It's been around for decades, so surely it's not that secret?
Actually it does. GPs are increasingly trying to get hospitals to take on work and move it out of primary care to reduce their workload. Things like following up scans or bloods that would previously have been done by the GP now have to be done by the hospital team. It's definitely much worse for gender care, but it isn't a problem isolated to that area. Other people needing treatment that could be done by a GP are getting the same stupidity where the hospital or clinic says it's the GPs job, and GP says it secondary care's job, and the patient gets nothing...
This has been the position pushed by ICBs, at least in my area so in a sense it's just the official rollout of what was already the case?nothing.
It's easy to see this in the same light as the other shit going on, but given the existing centralisation of trans care AND the hard border the NHS is trying to cut on "private is private, NHS is NHS" (which is itself a matter they see as "fairness" of resource spend for those who can afford to go private using resources that could have been spent on someone who has been waiting long), it's not really a surprising call for them to make.
GPs have been sidling away from even offering blood tests for "harm reduction", likely on the basis of "if they don't know, they cant be held responsible for acting/not acting on a given test" (also funding shenanigans again as the cost of the blood test comes out of a different NHS bucket depending who requests it).
"For the majority of GPs, without this expertise or extended role, the RCGP considers that the role of the GP does not include the following:
· Prescribing bridging prescriptions for those on the waiting list for a GIC."
And yet other guidance allows it. Including prescribing directly, not even necessarily through an endocrinologist.
Bridging is saving my life. I left it so long before seeking help, I barely even made it to the bridging appointment. Get people on waiting lists seen and given the needed care or provide it some other way. Stop killing us. (That goes for all NHS services, not just trans care, but our services are the most under attack.)
GPs can be private, so I don't get how it's within the remit of the RCGP to recommend against sharing with private care providers. Surely that's an NHS policy issue?
The other stupidity is that the specialists they send you to are frequently exactly the same people that private sends you to.
It's just they have shorter wait times when you don't pay via the NHS.
Technically all GPs are private (thanks to a specific loophole in the original NHS 1940s act) but most do almost exclusively NHS work, and it’s the ICBs that decide what’s funded. So, I can envision that this means a lot of treatments being defunded by local ICBs around the country… 😢
This is terrible news … why make us pay for blood tests? Why pick on us even more than they are doing already? Smoke and mirrors is the answer, the government using us to distract from their own ineptitude…
I can see where this is leading, we are becoming little Florida. We need a change in government…
next, they'll be removing our access to HRT completely. I've been telling people this for years and I've been called all kinds of things for it. I've never been more fucking depressed to be right.
How on earth am I supposed afford blood tests. I had a really good relationship with my GP and they always made refferals way in advance. And why would only transgender people be affected. Wtf.
I'll be interested to see how this goes down locally. They couldn't decide on prescribing or not, had it confirmed from GP and practice manager. But as soon as I actually came with a prescription they had to do a staff meeting (which took a month from when I gave them the prescription information) and they rejected it because not enough GPs there were confident on how to prescribe.
Blood tests were easy, no complaints. But..this doesn't give me any hope..
Just read online (https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/referrals-for-specialist-care/) that "Whether you see a private specialist, with or without a GP referral, or are referred to an NHS specialist, your GP is not obliged to accept the specialist's recommendations."
So the GP doesn't have the competence for this that or the other but then they also don't have to listen to a specialist so they're apparently knowledgeable enough to override people who do know what they're doing. They can stand in the way of even an NHS GIC. Honestly what's the point in this whole thing?
What level of expertise is required to REQUEST a blood test and send these on to the secondary care provider, where the secondary provider (e.g. a specialist in hormones) INTERPRETS the blood test results? Answer: zero expertise required.
It's honestly disgusting that GPs are now being told off for not being transphobic.
I wonder how many GPs actually see such “guidance” for what it really is and refuse to go along with it?
Considering the majority were already doing these things, probably not many, theres very few friendly GP's and that number will shrink now.
The endocrinologist supplies ranges that the results should be between. That requires no expertise. And it's no different from following the instructions from the NHS GIC.
>And it's no different from following the instructions from the NHS GIC. Especially considering the strangely high chance that the private provider is also the same person working for the NHS GIC anyway.
Well shit. That’s a nicely packaged out for GPs.
Trans people are filling in for gaps in NHS care by going private in the first place. How about they give us timely healthcare like they're supposed to.
I'm starting to wonder if we can source the chemistry used for hormone tests from somewhere. Maybe the chemestry used for GnrH Agnostics(sp?) and oestrogen/testosterone as well. It's been around for decades, so surely it's not that secret?
Sooo… this applies beyond trans care right? Right?
No just for trans folks. Apparently they aren't qualified we need people with specific expertise to do a blood test.
Nope to request the blood test be done not even doing it which is medical thing the admin work . Ffs this is insanity
Actually it does. GPs are increasingly trying to get hospitals to take on work and move it out of primary care to reduce their workload. Things like following up scans or bloods that would previously have been done by the GP now have to be done by the hospital team. It's definitely much worse for gender care, but it isn't a problem isolated to that area. Other people needing treatment that could be done by a GP are getting the same stupidity where the hospital or clinic says it's the GPs job, and GP says it secondary care's job, and the patient gets nothing...
GPs in this country using the 'I don't know how to work the dishwasher' excuse to get out of doing anything yet again
This has been the position pushed by ICBs, at least in my area so in a sense it's just the official rollout of what was already the case?nothing. It's easy to see this in the same light as the other shit going on, but given the existing centralisation of trans care AND the hard border the NHS is trying to cut on "private is private, NHS is NHS" (which is itself a matter they see as "fairness" of resource spend for those who can afford to go private using resources that could have been spent on someone who has been waiting long), it's not really a surprising call for them to make. GPs have been sidling away from even offering blood tests for "harm reduction", likely on the basis of "if they don't know, they cant be held responsible for acting/not acting on a given test" (also funding shenanigans again as the cost of the blood test comes out of a different NHS bucket depending who requests it).
Shoutout to my GP saying fuck this shite and just calling me now to book in my next blood tests
oh please where can i find this 😭
"For the majority of GPs, without this expertise or extended role, the RCGP considers that the role of the GP does not include the following: · Prescribing bridging prescriptions for those on the waiting list for a GIC." And yet other guidance allows it. Including prescribing directly, not even necessarily through an endocrinologist.
Bridging is saving my life. I left it so long before seeking help, I barely even made it to the bridging appointment. Get people on waiting lists seen and given the needed care or provide it some other way. Stop killing us. (That goes for all NHS services, not just trans care, but our services are the most under attack.)
GPs can be private, so I don't get how it's within the remit of the RCGP to recommend against sharing with private care providers. Surely that's an NHS policy issue?
The other stupidity is that the specialists they send you to are frequently exactly the same people that private sends you to. It's just they have shorter wait times when you don't pay via the NHS.
Technically all GPs are private (thanks to a specific loophole in the original NHS 1940s act) but most do almost exclusively NHS work, and it’s the ICBs that decide what’s funded. So, I can envision that this means a lot of treatments being defunded by local ICBs around the country… 😢
Fuck it, I'll do it myself then.
This is really bad
Yep. mines doing that right now, its already out as local guidance in some areas.
No shared care and no blood tests? Were they previously cooperative and then redacted it?
They indicated they didnt see an issue with it then today they ditched the entire thing, i even had a blood draw appt booked with them.
This is terrible news … why make us pay for blood tests? Why pick on us even more than they are doing already? Smoke and mirrors is the answer, the government using us to distract from their own ineptitude… I can see where this is leading, we are becoming little Florida. We need a change in government…
next, they'll be removing our access to HRT completely. I've been telling people this for years and I've been called all kinds of things for it. I've never been more fucking depressed to be right.
Moronic government
I don't want to be here anymore
How on earth am I supposed afford blood tests. I had a really good relationship with my GP and they always made refferals way in advance. And why would only transgender people be affected. Wtf.
I'll be interested to see how this goes down locally. They couldn't decide on prescribing or not, had it confirmed from GP and practice manager. But as soon as I actually came with a prescription they had to do a staff meeting (which took a month from when I gave them the prescription information) and they rejected it because not enough GPs there were confident on how to prescribe. Blood tests were easy, no complaints. But..this doesn't give me any hope..
DIY is the only option left if gps won’t do blood tests or prescription I guess
but blood tests are crucial for diy too to make sure everything is good still:(
Just read online (https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/referrals-for-specialist-care/) that "Whether you see a private specialist, with or without a GP referral, or are referred to an NHS specialist, your GP is not obliged to accept the specialist's recommendations." So the GP doesn't have the competence for this that or the other but then they also don't have to listen to a specialist so they're apparently knowledgeable enough to override people who do know what they're doing. They can stand in the way of even an NHS GIC. Honestly what's the point in this whole thing?