Kate Chizlett, a local transgender citizens advisor, shared her personal experience of the care she received from the NHS and how it affected her mental health.
Ms Chizlett received “dismissive” behaviour from her GP and had to wait two years to be seen at a gender referral clinic.
Ms Chizlett described her transitioning period as an “extremely difficult time.”
The social citizen worker was at the Borough of Poole when she transitioned.
Chizlett said: “I still felt isolated as I didn’t have any friends who were going through what I was.”
Ms Chizlett was initially referred to a community mental health team by her GP. Chizlett was dismissed for failing to display symptoms of gender dysphoria for the required amount of months.
After being told she had to wait another year to be assessed again, Chizlett was left “distraught”.
Ms Chizlett was assessed 12 months on and was referred to a Gender Identity Clinic.
Chizlett had to wait a year to be seen, and was told that her GP “should’ve referred her straight to the gender clinic.”
Chizlett said the level of care had a “damaging” impact on her mental health, and that she had “lost out” on two vital years.
She added: “I felt like every day I went without help from the clinic, that my body was poisoning itself and changing in ways that I was disgusted with.”
Chizlett has called on the NHS to provide a “higher awareness of care” and stressed the importance of equality and diversity training across “all levels” of the NHS.
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