Nottingham patients criticize ‘cruel’ decision to stop HRT prescriptions

Patients who had their hormones revoked by a Nottinghamshire GP have recalled the “cruel” moment when they discovered their medical care had been withdrawn.

Jubilee Park Medical Partnership, which runs several practices in the East Midlands, publicly announced on Monday (December 30) that stop prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medications to all transgender patients.

Those currently receiving HRT under the partnership have reportedly been told their prescription has been withdrawn, prompting a massive backlash from protest group Nottingham Against Transphobia, which considered the decision “deeply wrong.”

Speaking to PinkNews, two patients under the association’s care recalled the “unconscionable” way in which they were told they had been taken off their medications just weeks before Christmas.

Samathy, a 29-year-old trans woman, says she felt “terrified” when she found out that her HRT prescription was going to be withdrawn.

“I’ve already been suffering from the worst anxiety I’ve had in many years, just worrying about losing my HRT,” she says. “I can’t imagine being forced to detransition by losing access to estrogen and my testosterone blocker will do anything other than plunge me into the worst mental state of my life.”

HRTIt has been described as lifesaving by several major medical organizations, which uses a combination of medications to help create hormone levels that relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Withdrawing access to HRT can cause several physical and mental health problems. Those who have undergone gender reassignment surgery, also known as butt surgery, will not be able to make sex hormones on their own, which can cause several complications.

The withdrawal of hormones is “excessive,” patients say

Samathy says she has been taking HRT for six “happy years”, four of them at Jubilee Park, where, she says, everything had previously been “problem-free”.

“My mental health was really bad before I had access to HRT on the NHS,” she says. “Since then I have been able to enjoy life a lot thanks to HRT.”

The decision was equally described as “unconscionable” by Lex, 32, who was told just a week before Christmas that his testosterone had been taken off.

The news came after months of back and forth between Lex and his GP after the Nottingham Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) recommended updating his medication.

Lex says the GP pre-emptively agreed to the change following a consultation, but then suddenly refrained from implementing the changes, before contacting them to withdraw hormones completely.

“I was incredibly disappointed,” they say. “The wait to hear from them had been very stressful, but honestly, until that phone call, I was still hoping it would be resolved amicably.

“Gender-affirming care saves lives. “This decision is completely excessive and the reasons given are indefensible.”

Lex claims a GP practice manager suggested he access HRT privately, which they say is “totally inappropriate” given the financial problems many trans people face.

“I have already been receiving treatment on the NHS, why should I be forced to go private now?” —Lex adds.

Patients Considering ‘Do-It-Yourself’ Hormones

For both Lex and Samathy, the situation has left them between a rock and a hard place, being forced to consider do-it-yourself HRT – the act of purchasing hormones online with little or no medical description.

Samathy added that DIY is a last resort as it can be “risky and expensive.”

“I may end up having to make my own medications if I can’t find an NHS GP to help me. “I would much prefer to be treated by an NHS doctor for the medical condition I was diagnosed with by the NHS,” he says. “As history shows us, eliminating people’s access to health care does not eliminate their need. “People will get what they need outside of secure channels.”

In an effort to urge the association to reverse its decision, both have begun filing petitions through complaints and peaceful protests, urging others affected by the situation to do the same.

“I am actively writing complaints to anyone I can to try to get the visibility needed for this GP practice to reverse this decision,” he continues. “Make noise, don’t let GPs get away with it. “We deserve access to health care like everyone else.”

In a statement to PinkNews, Jubilee Park Medical Partnership wrote that the decision was made because it believes hormone prescribing is “more appropriate to be provided by a specialist” and is “beyond the clinical experience and knowledge of GPs.” to provide this service in the same way. that must be provided.”

He added that prescriptions should be managed through one of England’s eight Gender Identity Clinics (GICs), but admitted those clinics “cannot keep up with the growing demand for these services”.

He said the hormone prescriptions had not been funded “as an enhanced national or local service”, nor, he says, have they been “commissioned by our local commissioners”.

He ended by adding that he believes the work “is not part of the GP contract.”

It is understood that cisgender patients can still access hormone replacement therapy for symptoms related to menopause.