Welsh Gender Service Cancelled Around 60 Surgeries This Year, Minister Says

Approximately 60 surgeries through the Welsh Gender Service (WGS) have been cancelled for this year following a referral pause initiated in August, Wales' health minister has announced. This marks the first time specific figures have been released regarding the impact of the decision to halt referrals due to concerns about the assessment of transgender patients.

Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor stated that the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC), which made the decision to pause referrals, has commissioned a clinical review panel to examine the cases. The goal is to determine if any of the cancelled surgeries can proceed before the end of December.

"The JCC has identified that approximately 60 patients were due surgery between the pausing of surgery in August and the end of December," ap Gwynfor said. "Our priority is to bring certainty to these people as quickly as possible and the JCC are confident that all 60 of these cases can be reviewed before the end of December."

Concerns leading to the pause included patients not meeting basic requirements for surgery, such as having an unsuitable Body Mass Index (BMI). The NWJCC also noted that the proportion of Welsh patients progressing to surgery was significantly lower than in England, while the rate of referrals was significantly higher.

The WGS provides referrals for adult patients in Wales, but all NHS surgeries are performed in England. These procedures, which include both masculinizing and feminising options, are irreversible.

During a Senedd debate, Welsh Green leader Anthony Slaughter described the situation as an "unbearable limbo" for patients who felt "abandoned, alone and confused." He called for a review of the governance that led to patients and the government being "blindsided."

Conservative health spokesperson Natasha Asghar defended the pause, stating, "There is nothing unacceptable about pausing irreversible surgery at the Welsh Gender Service while serious concerns are investigated." Reform MS Cristiana Emsley concurred, emphasizing that "patient safety must unite us" and that continuing referrals with concerns about appropriateness and safeguards would be unacceptable.

The NWJCC confirmed that the review, which will prioritize individuals further along the surgical pathway, commenced in early December. Experienced gender clinicians are conducting the review, with the aim of completing this stage by the end of December. Patients awaiting surgery in 2027 and those needing a surgical assessment will also have their referrals reviewed.

While the NWJCC has not identified any patients who have come to harm, concerns were raised through complaints and other information. A broader independent review of the service is also underway, with findings expected later this year. The minister stressed that patients impacted by the pause should have access to necessary support during the review process.