Trans students’ protest against Students’ Health Service lack of accessible hormone treatment

Trans students allege that they are left paying over £100 a month to access healthcare


Bristol University students have taken action outside the university’s Students’ Health Service (SHS) over what protestors argue is a lack of access to hormone therapies for trans students.

Organised by the Trans Liberation Front, the protest challenges the Students’ Health Service’s apparent inability to provide trans students with hormone treatment. 

The Bristol Tab spoke to Freya, a member of the LGBTQ+ society and participant in the protest, who told us: “We are here today protesting the Students’ Health Service because they are really terrible at supporting their trans students.

She claimed: “They basically have a blanket ban on prescribing any hormones to anybody.”

In a statement, Bristol University refuted this claim explaining transgender healthcare is a “specialist area overseen by a network of Gender Identity Clinics funded centrally by NHS England”.

It said whilst it does “does continue to prescribe hormone treatment for some students who have been through this NHS process”, students who wish to access hormone treatment must be referred to theses specialist clinics first and it cannot be made by “individual GP surgeries”. 

This follows the guidance as set out by the General Medical Council, which states once someone has been discharged by a Gender Identity Clinic, or an experienced gender specialist, the prescription of relevant hormones can be carried out by a GP, with no need for further specialist input. The GMC advises that it is unacceptable to refuse treatment to a patient under these circumstances. 

The reality for trans students however, means being referred to a Gender Identity Clinic is not as simple in reality. The university readily admits waiting times are “currently two to five years” meaning a first year Bristol University student could easily graduate before ever seeing a specialist.

Protestors allege that due to insufficient access to hormone medication, students are left with no choice but to self-fund treatments: “Some of my friends I know pay up to £180 a month just to get their hormones. That’s like half my fucking budget on buying hormones,” Freya said. 

Freya feels that her experiences show “how little the university actually cares about us (trans students), that we are too controversial to support directly, and this has a direct impact on our mental health and makes us feel like we’re not worth protecting.”

I know I wouldn’t be alive if I couldn’t access gender-affirming care.”

In response to the protest, a University of Bristol spokesperson said: “The University’s Students’ Health Service has joined others in lobbying nationally for an improvement to waiting times for this service as we acknowledge the detrimental effect this can have for patients.”

They also recognise the economic strain caused by having to seek private care as a result of this, and continue to “recommend using an NHS Gender Identity Clinic because it supports long-term, well-governed safe treatment”.

The Students’ Health Service claimed that it continues to provide aid for trans students via referral to the NHS Gender Identity Clinic service. Bristol Uni  “supports the mental health needs of all of our patients and are aware of the specific issues relating to lack of timely transgender healthcare on individual’s wellbeing.”

“We are regularly involved in discussions with the University relating to student needs, including our trans community and were involved in discussions  relating to the provision of LGBT+ specialist counsellors” 

The Students’ Health Service concludes its statement by reaffirming its status as an “NHS Rainbow Badge practice, with additional LGBT+ training for staff” which is “striving to meet the highest standards of accessibility and support.”

This month’s protest had one clear message for the Students’ Health Service: “We want to transition and we are asking for support in doing that.”

The full statement from Bristol University can be found below:

“Transgender healthcare is a specialist area which is overseen by a national network of Gender Identity Clinics [GIC] funded centrally by NHS England.

“Anyone requesting hormone treatment via the NHS needs to be referred to these specialist clinics who will assess each patient to determine what medication is appropriate. This is not a decision that can be made by individual GP surgeries. The Students’ Health Service does continue to prescribe hormone treatment for some students who have been through this NHS process.

“Waiting times for GIC assessment is currently two to five years – something that has been made worse in recent years due to the pandemic. The University’s Students’ Health Service has joined others in lobbying nationally for an improvement to waiting times for this service as we acknowledge the detrimental effect this can have for patients. The long waiting times have led some patients to seek private assessments/treatment for which they have to pay for themselves. We recognise this is expensive and anyone choosing to do this needs to consider the cost in the long term and the impact that a break in treatment in the future might mean for them.  We would always recommend using an NHS GIC because it supports long term, well-governed and safe treatment.

“The Students’ Health Service can support students who wish to seek private care by giving guidance on what a quality and safe service should include. We aid our patients with referral to the NHS GIC service, support with social transition, advice regarding wider issues around transgender health such as NHS screening programmes and changes to medical records.

“We support the mental health needs of all of our patients and are aware of the specific issues relating to lack of timely transgender healthcare on individual’s wellbeing. Students are individuals and are considered on a case-by-case basis. We are regularly involved in discussions with the University relating to student needs, including our trans community and were involved in discussions relating to the provision of LGBT+ specialist counsellors within the Student Counselling Service.

“The surgery is an NHS Rainbow Badge practice, with additional LGBT+ training for staff. We have recently applied for a Pride in Practice accreditation with the LGBT foundation and are striving to meet the highest standards of accessibility and support for our patients and staff.”

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