NHS here in the UK is giving me grief

[johanna.kitten]

The things one have to put up with getting anything out of them is hard work.
I've been sent around London's NHS facilities for two days now - all I want is
to have some shrink to take me on and OK me for HRT.

Anyone over here in the UK ever used pharmacygeoff? I am toying with the idea
of just get this done without the NHS' involvement.

/Johanna

[Deborah_UK]

Unfortunately, with the NHS beeing "free" you have to jump through their hoops. I did point you towards "Transhealth" in another thread, but you do have to pay for the consultations.

Its not really a good idea to self med, you need to get your blood levels checked etc, you may also want to check out this thread as well http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?131324-Questions-amp-Issues-for-NHS-United-Kingdom-Members

[johanna.kitten]

Ah yeah I remember you did. Also I have checked that other tread. My main concern is that they need to know where I live. Not too happy about that. Then the A & E nurse got all stroppy with me when I did not know my address nor post code. Had my NI card in my hand and my emergency passport in the other, what more could they possibly need?

I just gonna get my stuff and go ahead with it until they are willing to help me out.

/Johanna

[ClaireT]

Johanna, I find it hard to take anything you've posted seriously. The odds are that you're a confused teen who's stringing people along, but just in case you do need this help..... You don't get a psych referral from A&E. For starters, it's neither an accident or an emergency, is it? Register with a General Practitioner, tell them about your situation and ask for a referral.

How on earth do you expect to receive any medical help if you won't even give out your address? You say you've turned up at work dressed but you can't be open to a hospital? Something smells fishy... and it ain't the fish.

[Traci Elizabeth]

Johanna, I find it hard to take anything you've posted seriously. The odds are that you're a confused teen who's stringing people along, but just in case you do need this help..... You don't get a psych referral from A&E. For starters, it's neither an accident or an emergency, is it? Register with a General Practitioner, tell them about your situation and ask for a referral.

How on earth do you expect to receive any medical help if you won't even give out your address? You say you've turned up at work dressed but you can't be open to a hospital? Something smells fishy... and it ain't the fish.


I just love English wit. Now I can sit on my arse and relax.

[Melody Moore]

You are damn lucky that you can get free healthcare including SRS through the NHS.
If we could get it here like that I wouldn't mind jumping through a few hoops either.

You really should be grateful. If you aren't and don't have the patience, then you can
go the private route but I also know that will be very costly. Those are your choices
and definitely a lot more than others have.

[johanna.kitten]

ClaireT - Naa, no teen anymore, just turned 45 a few days back. The only reason I ended up at the A&E was that I nipped down to my local walk-in and they would not have it but gave me an address to go to, I had no idea it was A&E until I was there. Also, I've had minimal contact with the NHS in the past so I got no or little knowledge of how things work here in the UK. Actually I lived here once before and I have now tracked down my GP. I can get an appointment on the 31st this month, but I'll try to swing by this Saturday to see if I can get someone else to refer me. My employer does not know where I live, actually nobody does, not even me. Well, I do know how to get there, but I do not know the address. There are reasons for this, there are two people out there that I don't what to find me, one of them is the taxman.

NHS is not the only option for me, I carry a EU passport so I can access most healthcare systems within the European union, the SRS I believe is available to me in Belgium, Holland, Sweden just to name a few of countries I lived in the latest 5 years.

/Johanna

[Frances]

Transition with free* healthcare is all about jumping through hoops and waiting things out. I had to go through a few years of therapy before getting the OK for HRT.

*free being misleading as the years of mandated therapy were out of pocket costs.

[Kaitlyn Michele]

melody, frances...this is not a real story...

very entertaining so far, but not real..

[Melody Moore]

Kaitlyn, how is this not a 'real story'?

As far as I know the NHS in the UK is very much real. So I don't follow.

[johanna.kitten]

I'd be well buggered if I gotta have to wait for years to get HRT, then I know which way I'll be going. Good to know that people take interest in what I'm writing, to back things up - it is Dr Bakker I'm going to see this first time. We all live our lives, I live mine... we are all different.

http://www.lissongrovehealthcentre.co.uk/staff1.aspx

/Johanna

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Kaitlyn, how is this not a 'real story'?

As far as I know the NHS in the UK is very much real. So I don't follow.

Read the other posts and threads...nothing to do with nhs.... You'll see what I mean..

[Melody Moore]

Oh now I see what you mean Kaitlyn.

Johanna, I think you really need to develop some patience because I am starting
to think you might be trying to rush into things a little too quickly and too soon.
I was reading your last thread where you started to get hate mail etc at work &
suspect that the reason why this is happening is because you might be going too
quickly for your work colleagues. I know girls who transitioned and work and they
were successful because they did it gradually over a period of time instead of just
turning up done up to the 9's like you were going out for dinner & a night of dancing
and freaking everyone out. A lot of girls start by presenting more & more androgynously
over a period of time and gradually become more and more feminine. This doesn't freak
them out so much and have a better concept of you and what you go through in your
transition. But if you do it too fast, then to them they feel like they suddenly have to
get to know a whole new person and don't know how they should address you. Some
fear making mistakes or offending you and may start to avoid you and this will only make
your transition very difficult. If you are not careful you could create more problems for
yourself. I have seen this happen to others & I certainly hope it doesnt happen to you.

If you think you are transsexual, then you really should be patient and go through for
proper assessment. Trying to take shortcuts and rush things often leads to mistakes
and will only cause you more and more problems.

[Deborah_UK]

Had my NI card in my hand and my emergency passport in the other, what more could they possibly need?



/Johanna

I had approached this thread with an open mind, but this part of the thread does not ring true - my profession allows me expert opinion on this.



I carry a EU passport


To get an NI number (National Insurance number which allows people to work and claim benefits) as an EU national you have to provide an address. The DWP (Department of Works & Pensions) do not issue NI numbers to non British citizens without evidence of residency.

Secondly, I'm not sure what you mean by Emergency passport, issued by which state? did you use that "emergency passport" to go to Thailand? In my experience none of the EU consular representatives issue emergency passports in the UK, unless they are for a one journey trip home.

I hope that the fact that English may not be your first language is causing the confusion, I would hate for a serious topic to be used to troll.

[johanna.kitten]

To get an NI number (National Insurance number which allows people to work and claim benefits) as an EU national you have to provide an address. The DWP (Department of Works & Pensions) do not issue NI numbers to non British citizens without evidence of residency.

Secondly, I'm not sure what you mean by Emergency passport, issued by which state? did you use that "emergency passport" to go to Thailand? In my experience none of the EU consular representatives issue emergency passports in the UK, unless they are for a one journey trip home.


Deborah, I've had a UK NI number since the mid 90s. I did get my emergency passport out in Bangkok as my
passport was stolen, as were all my cards/cash and iPad and more.

I just got back from NHS and they would not deal with me even if I've been with Dr Bakker since... 2003-5 I guess. I'll have a go at setting up an appointment over the phone, maybe they will not challenge my address next time.

/Johanna