Brighton Pavilion MP pushes for a Gender Identity Clinic in Brighton

Caroline Lucas, MP posed two written Parliamentary questions last week about the provision of Gender Identity Clinics in the UK.

She asked the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on:

• The current waiting time following referral for a first appointment at Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) and:

• How many people are currently receiving treatment at that clinic and how long the average wait is between appointments; what assessment his Department has made of how many patients Charing Cross GIC can treat in a year according to best practice guidelines and within existing resources; what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of NHS England on the steps necessary to increase provision of services for trans people.

Caroline asked the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to facilitate the establishment of a gender identity clinic in Brighton and Hove. Brighton has a large Trans* comunity and all published research points to the need for a local clinic.

Caroline commented: “I’m really concerned when I hear constituents relay to me their struggles in accessing the services. Many are understandably extremely distressed by the current processes and delays. It seems to me perfectly clear that we need a Gender Identity Clinic in Brighton and Hove – it means people can stay close by, and it will significantly ease the pressure on other, overstretched, clinics.”

In a busy week in Parliament Caroline continued her push for Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PHSE) to be made statutory in state schools – and for this to include Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) and education on ending violence against women and girls.

She attended a public discussion  about Drug reform alongside Professor David Nutt in Brighton around regulating the use of Medicinal Cannabis.

Caroline said: “It’s vital that drugs policy is driven by an evidence based approach and I look forward to hearing more about the evidence about the medicinal benefits of cannabis, which has looked at the experience of some states in the US, where there has been regulated supply to meet medical need under strict regulation.”