WGS Newsletter: Spring Edition
The WGS have produced a newsletter for Spring 2022. The service hopes to provide two newsletters per year. This is the first one. Read the newsletter below:
Dear Colleagues, Patients, Stakeholders & Community,
Spring is nearly upon us and as we reflect on the months since we last met at our stakeholder event in October 2021, we are keen to share a number of updates with you all in our first ever newsletter: Spring edition.
Our initial assessment consultations continue to be allocated in order of our longest waiting patients. If your contact details change whilst you’re on our waiting list, please let us know via phone 02921 836 612, e-mail cav.wgs_enquiries@wales.nhs.uk or by post if completing the change of details form.
*Between April 2021 until February 2022, the service received 891 referrals, demonstrating a 54% increase in referrals when compared to 577 referrals received the previous year April 2020 – February 2021.
Other service updates include…
WGS Information Leaflet
We have now created a Welsh Gender Service information leaflet that includes contact details for Local Gender Teams, GDNRSS team, Umbrella Cymru team and ourselves in the Cardiff Clinic. These leaflets are now being sent out with clinic letters to enable patients to contact their local gender teams and other useful contacts directly. Please e-mail cav.wgs_enquiries@wales.nhs.uk for an electronic copy.
Repatriation of Welsh patients on London GIC waiting list
Many of you will recall the discussion of repatriating Welsh patients on the London GIC waiting list that we had at our last Stakeholder Event in October 2021, where we agreed the repatriation of this cohort of patients would take place in 2022. Since then, we’ve been busy engaging with London GIC to make this happen and take another step towards upholding a fair and equitable service in Wales.
We are pleased to update you all that we are embarking on the final stages of repatriating Welsh patients on the London GIC waiting list across to the Welsh GIC waiting list by 1st April 2022. There are circa 130 Welsh patients on the London GIC waiting list that will be repatriated to Wales. We have engaged with WHSSC and London GIC over the past six months and have agreed that all medical records will be transferred by 1st April 2022.
So, what does this mean? For the patients that are being repatriation from the London GIC waiting list to Wales, you will receive a welcome pack and repatriation letter from us in WGS once we have received your records from London and added you to our waiting list; there’s nothing for you to do.
Your original referral date will be honoured and patient’s will be added to our waiting list in referral date order. We only ask that when you receive your welcome pack and letter that you ensure we have the most up-to-date contact details for you. You can update your contact details with us using the change of details form or phoning / e-mailing us. Our clinical and administrative team will then work through the waiting list in referral date order to ensure our longest waiting patients are contacted for their initial appointment.
We’d like to thank you all for your patience while we have been working to make this happen. We recognise that the repatriation of this cohort of patients will increase the waiting list position; something that will continue to be managed by the service by way of clinical management and service development with the support of our commissioners, WHSSC, to continue to develop and enhance our service.
Support & Advice
WGS continues to work in partnership with Umbrella Cymru to provide support to our patients whilst on the waiting list. Please contact us on 02921 836 612 if you’d like your details to be shared with Umbrella Cymru to access a range of free and confidential services.
Welcome to the Welsh Gender Service
We welcome a number of new team members to the Welsh Gender Service;
Dr Kate Nambiar – gender clinician with expertise in endocrinology; Dr Clive Morrison – trainee gender clinician welcomed from North Wales Local Gender team; and Dr Johnny Wilson starting in May 2022 – trainee gender clinician who some of you may know from Cwm Taff Local Gender Team.
Farewells at the Welsh Gender Service
We say ‘good bye’ to two invaluable members of the Welsh Gender Service clinical team at the end of March 2022. A highly regarded gender clinician, Dr Sarah Murjan, will be returning to her post in Nottingham and our Clinical Lead, Dr John Dean bids us farewell to begin retirement. I’m sure you will all join us in thanking both Sarah and John for their dedication to the service.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or enquiries.
With kind regards,
The Welsh Gender Service Team
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