Thousands of transgender adults and children face waits of up to three or more years for gender identity treatment as NHS services come under strain from growing demand.

The number of adults and children being referred to gender identity clinics in England rose from 3,330 in 2014-15 to 8,074 in 2018-19, an average year-on-year increase of around 25%, according to freedom of information data from five clinics offering services.

At the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust, Britain’s first children’s gender identity clinic, the number of referrals for under-18s has almost quadrupled, from 678 in 2014-15 to 2,590 in 2018-19. This equates to an average year-on-year increase of about 40%.

The longest wait for a first appointment across all the five clinics that responded was 1,133 days – more than three years.

Experts said the figures highlighted the lack of capacity in NHS specialised gender identity services. They said long waits for appointments were acutely stressful for patients, with suicide and self-harm a major risk. Read more via Guardian