THEGAYUK

Tag: NHS

All the latest breaking news on the NHS. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on the NHS.

  • OPINION | Is NHS England’s decision to fight PrEP provision homophobic?

    Is latent homophobia behind NHS England’s decision to fight the recent High Court judgement on the provision of PrEP?

    I’ve been quiet about PrEP for a while now, but earlier this year, at the National HIV Nurses Association conference in Manchester, I spoke passionately in favour of its implementation for those most at risk of HIV, angry at the way the NHS was attempting to wriggle out of commissioning PrEP by claiming it was the responsibility of local councils, none of which were likely to be able to afford it.

    Furthermore the NHS refused to offer any support to those of us on the PROUD study who would no longer have access to PrEP. Well things have moved on a bit since then. In August, in a huge victory for the National Aids Trust, who brought the case, the High Court ruled that the NHS does have a responsibility for commissioning PrEP. In his summing up, Mr Justice Green stated that,

    “No one doubts that preventative medicine makes powerful sense. But one governmental body says it has no power to provide the service and local authorities say they have no money.

    “The claimant is caught between the two and the potential victims of this disagreement are those who will contract HIV/Aids but who would not were the preventative policy to be fully implemented.

    “In my judgment the answer to this conundrum is that NHS England has erred in deciding that it has no power to commission the preventative drugs in issue.”

    Unfortunately, NHS England responded that they would appeal the decision with a cynically worded statement to the effect that PrEP was, “to prevent HIV transmission particularly for men who have high risk condom-less sex with male partners”.

    The NHS also stated that they would not now be able to confirm funding for treatments and services in levels three and four, which  just happen to include treatments for children who are deaf and have cystic fibrosis. Not surprisingly the statement resulted in some of the most vituperatively questionable headlines in recent years from, predictably, the Daily Mail, but also in The Times.

    Not only was NHS England giving out inaccurate information, but it was failing in patient responsibility by pitting one patient group against another, and one has to ask what was the motive behind issuing such a sensationalist statement.

    I am beginning to think someone at NHS England has a personal axe to grind. In the event, Ian Green, Chief Executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, wrote a strongly worded letter to NHS England’s Chief Executive, Simon Stevens, expressing extreme “concern” with the wording of the NHS press statement.

    He concluded that,

    “PrEP is not a moral issue. PrEP is a treatment which can stop a population with ongoing major health inequalities from contracting a life threatening disease with lifetime treatment costs of up to £380,000. That is all and it should be treated as such.”

    As it happens, NHS England have now issued a statement to the effect that they have launched a consultation into the future of HIV-preventing PrEP, though the statement document notes that the consultation is being run without prejudice to the outcome of their appeal following a judicial review, and that their contention is still that it is not responsible for commissioning PrEP.

    In the meantime, NHS England’s latest proposal that it will routinely commission PrEP for the treatment of adults at high risk of HIV acquisition is good news indeed.

    Those considered at high risk and covered by the policy are high risk men who have sex with men, or MSM (a phrase I dislike intensely, though it seems we are stuck with it for the moment), trans women and trans men who have had anal sex without a condom in the last three months and are likely to again in the next three months; also partners of people living with HIV where they are not known to be on successful HIV treatment, and heterosexuals assessed to be at similar high risk to MSM.

    Those of us already on the PROUD study also received some good news when Gilead, the company which produces Truvada, agreed to provide the drug free of charge for existing PROUD participants for the next six months.

    I know I’ve banged on about it before, but I am convinced that the reason we are still having to fight for the implementation of PrEP, why we are even having this discussion at all, comes down to latent homophobia and a distaste for what we do in bed, and that moral judgements are getting in the way of facts.

    We already know that getting people with HIV onto treatment as soon as possible means that they can’t pass on the virus. Coupled with making those most at risk immune, we have a real chance here of bringing down HIV infection rates considerably. In San Francisco, a two-pronged strategy, using TasP (treatment as prevention) and increasing access to PrEP resulted in a staggering 34% reduction in new infections between 2012 and 2014, a figure that is likely to increase as the new treatments take effect.

    Yes, PrEP is expensive, though the price will come down considerably once Truvada comes out of patent in 2017, but, it is far more expensive to treat someone with HIV for the rest of their lives.

    And we’re not even taking into consideration the hidden costs of dealing with mental health issues that invariably follow a positive diagnosis. Now as it happens, my situation has changed over the last year or so. Whereas, when I started on PrEP, I was having lots of sex with multiple partners, I am now in a monogamous relationship and don’t need to be on it anymore.

    And here’s the point.

    HIV is something that will be with you for the rest of your life. PrEP is something you might need at certain points in your life. What’s more, the Ipergay study in France came up with a different model from the daily regimen. They found that if you took 2 pills prior to having sex, and then one more for two days afterwards, you would still be protected, which is something that would work for people who have organised sex lives.

    On the other hand PEP (post exposure prophylaxis), as I hope everyone knows, has been available for some time now. I was on it twice before going onto PrEP.  I know of people who are accessing PEP three or four times a year, which is already costing the NHS more than putting these people onto PrEP; and I’m now hearing about guys presenting themselves for PEP several times a year in an attempt to stock pile Truvada to use as PrEP. This too is far more costly than putting them on PrEP.

    It is my fervent hope that NHS England will lose their appeal and we can finally begin to bring down the escalating increase in new HIV infections in this country.

    Follow Greg Mitchell on Twitter

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • UK’s Biggest AIDS charity prepares to defend historic win against NHS England on PrEP

    NAT (National AIDS Trust) prepares to defend historic win against NHS England on PrEP

    (C) marcbruxel Depositphotos

    The charity has launched a crowdfunding appeal in order to raise vital funds to cover their legal costs for the appeal. NHS England is appealing the ruling that said they unlawfully cut PrEP, the drug which prevents HIV transmission, from their commissioning process.

    PrEP could be the beginning of the end for HIV – a condition more than 6,000 people a year are diagnosed with in the UK – but NHS England says it doesn’t have the legal power to pay for it because it’s a prevention drug. However in August, following Judicial Review by NAT, Mr Justice Green ruled that they are wrong and there is no legal impediment to them funding PrEP.

    Despite the strength of the ruling against their stance, NHS England is forcing the case to go back to court. NAT is now aiming to raise at least £15,000 by 22 September in order to support the costs of the case. The hearing for the appeal will take place on 15 September at the Royal Courts of Justice.

    Deborah Gold, CEO at NAT, said,

    “We are very disappointed to be having to go to court again to ensure that the NHS can’t just shut the door on PrEP.

    “By unlawfully and suddenly removing PrEP from their commissioning process, NHS England denied the rights of those who need it to have the case for PrEP heard in a fair and impartial way. We can’t stand back and allow poor decisions like this to go unchallenged.

    “The truth is that PrEP not only works – it is cost-effective. We will continue to fight for PrEP to be made available on the NHS because it is the right thing to do and it makes financial sense for the country.”

    Ian Green, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust which supported the crowdfunding campaign with a £3,000 donation, said,

    “We are extremely grateful to NAT for taking on NHS England in the High Court, as part of the ongoing effort to see PrEP made available to those at risk of HIV.

    “PrEP – alongside condom use, treatment and testing – could be the final piece of the jigsaw in stopping HIV transmission in the UK.  This is a cause worth fighting for.

    “We stand united with NAT and the HIV community in continuing the fight for this game-changing preventative treatment, and have been pleased to be able to provide a donation from Terrence Higgins Trust towards the charity’s legal costs.”

    Deborah Gold added,

    “We want to thank everyone who has so far contributed to our legal costs throughout this part of the fight for PrEP as well as those who would like to now.  You have enabled us to stand up for the rights of people whose voices may otherwise not be heard.”

     

    This article was written by NATIONAL AIDS TRUST, but is not a paid for piece of content.

  • Stephen Fry and Doctor Christian blast NHS England on PrEP decision

    Celebrities and activists have condemned this week’s announcement from NHS England that it will not fund PrEP, a pill that is almost 100% effective in preventing HIV.

    © Jean_Nelson Depositphotos

    Stephen Fry led the movement of celebrities rallying for PrEP to be made available to those at risk of HIV.

    Stephen, a patron of Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

    “I have been a supporter of HIV charities for 35 years and seen remarkable medical and social breakthroughs in treating infection and stigma. But I never imagined I would be alive to see the day when a pill was created that could actually prevent HIV.

    “It is remarkable and thrilling to witness so tremendous an achievement, but deeply frustrating in equal measure to discover that our national health service has pointedly refused to provide it to people at significant risk of infection from HIV.

    “Surely this must be challenged: if not in the name of humanity then in the name of economy and plain common sense.”

    His sentiments were echoed by Dr Christian Jessen, an ambassador for National HIV Testing Week, who said,

     “I was shocked and saddened to see NHS England’s refusal to fund PrEP, following months of campaigning by HIV organisations and activists.

    “As a doctor, this makes no sense to me. There should be no ‘controversy’ – this is a drug that works, it will halt HIV, and it is cost-effective. Condom use has prevented tens of thousands of HIV infections and remains a cornerstone of HIV prevention, but it’s not enough on its own. PrEP could have been the last piece of the puzzle.”

    Christian Jessen (C) Monty McKinnen
    Christian Jessen (C) Monty McKinnen

    The UK now has the worst HIV epidemic of any large country in western Europe, having overtaken Spain, France and Portugal. Every day, seven men who have sex with men get HIV.

    The HIV sector has been united in its outrage following NHS England’s announcement on Tuesday. In an unprecedented move, the UK’s HIV charities and organisations have now joined forces and announced they will march together at London Pride on 25th June for the first time in Pride history, under the banner of #United4PrEP.

    In a letter to The Times, the coalition of over 20 HIV organisations called the decision “a dark day for the NHS.”

    The letter was signed by National AIDS Trust, Terrence Higgins Trust, Gay Men Fighting AIDS, British HIV Association and many more.
    They said,

    “Our Government seems to have no idea who is responsible for funding the drug that could help end the HIV epidemic, with departments passing the buck and no-one taking charge. The broader implications of that chaos should worry everyone.”

    Rather than making PrEP available to high-risk groups, the NHS has agreed to provide PrEP to just 500 gay and bisexual men.

    “The tokenistic offer to provide PrEP to 500 gay men over two years is arbitrary and inadequate,” continued the letter in the Times.

    “It won’t scratch the surface when 2,500 gay men get HIV each year, let alone other groups such as trans women and black Africans.”

    Other celebrities joining the outcry have included Coronation Street actor Charlie Condou, who said:

    “Anything that can stop people getting HIV can only be a good thing, and that’s why I was so disappointed that the NHS has refused to fund PrEP. Despite what lots of people think, HIV hasn’t gone away. It’s an incurable health condition affecting thousands of people – and I believe that if there’s a way of stopping it in its tracks, our health service should be grabbing that opportunity, not letting it go to waste.

    “I understand it costs money to provide PrEP, but in the long term, it will be cheaper for the NHS to prevent at-risk people from getting HIV than to fund a lifetime of treatment for them.”

    Sir Elton John has previously voiced his support for PrEP. Writing in the New York Times in 2014, he said,

    “Many view the drug Truvada — often used in pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — as a miracle drug that will end AIDS. I share in this excitement, and have great hope for PrEP — and praise for leaders who advocate its wider use.”

    The Prime Minister David Cameron has publicly spoken out about the benefits of PrEP, saying,

    “There’s no doubt there is a rising rate of [HIV] infection. These treatments can help and make a difference.”

     

    Now HIV activists and organisations are calling on him to show leadership and see this game-changing drug provided to those most at risk.

    This article was written by Terrence Higgins Trust but was edited to meet THEGAYUK’s style guide.

  • NHS “Washed Its Hands” On Providing PrEP For Gay And Bisexual Community

    NHS England has come under intense criticism after it announced it was removing the anti-HIV drug known as PrEP from the official commissioning process.

    CREDIT: tashatuvango-bigstock

     CREDIT: tashatuvango-bigstock

    NHS England is facing a backlash from sexual health groups and HIV charities after it confirmed its decision to remove PrEP from the official NHS commissioning process, meaning that the anti-HIV drug will be inaccessible to people at risk of HIV.

    Both the National AIDS Trust (NAT) and the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) blasted the decision. With the NAT saying it was considering further legal action against NHS England.

    PrEP is an HIV prevention drug, proven to be effective in stopping HIV transmission in almost every case if taken properly. The decision by NHS England not even to consider commissioning PrEP came after 18 months of hard work from an NHS working group (comprising clinicians and experts from across the HIV sector) which demonstrated the need, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of PrEP.

    Deborah Gold, Chief Executive, NAT, said,

    “NHS England is sitting on something that could be the beginning of the end for the HIV epidemic – if only it were made available.  The refusal to commission it for all those at significant risk is astonishing.   Seventeen people are being diagnosed with HIV every day. Weare extremely disappointed and we will now be looking at our options, including further legal action.”

    Terrence Higgins Trust called the decision “shameful” and said that NHS England had “washed its hands” of one of the most stunning breakthroughs in HIV prevention which disproportionately affects the gay and bisexual community in the UK.

    Ian Green, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said,

    “Today is a shameful day for HIV prevention. This country used to lead the way in the fight against the HIV epidemic, but today, our national health service has washed its hands of one of the most stunning breakthroughs we’ve seen; a pill which, if taken correctly, is almost 100% effective in preventing HIV.  A pill which is already available in America, Canada, France, Kenya and soon to be Australia.

    “How did it come to this? It defies belief that, after 18 months of false hope, delays and u-turns in the battle to see PrEP made available on the NHS to people at high risk of HIV, today we are in a worse position than when we started.

    “It is a mess, and the people who will feel the effects are the 2,500 men who have sex with men who will be needlessly infected with HIV each year in the UK. This figure has not changed in a decade. Who will claim responsibility for the life-long impact this will have on people’s lives?

    “It’s not right that people who know themselves to be at high risk of HIV have to buy PrEP themselves from the internet at considerable personal expense. Many high risk people are living in poverty and they simply cannot afford to protect themselves against HIV. Currently, only those who can afford it are able to access this life-changing treatment, further widening the inequality gap by those most affected by HIV.

    “The battle for PrEP must continue until the day that people at highest risk have access to this groundbreaking pill that will protect them from HIV.”

  • Prime Minister Wants NHS To Make Decision On PrEP This Month

    Prime Minister David Cameron has told the House of Commons that he wants NHS England to make a decision on funding Pre Exposure Prophylaxis PrEP Drugs on the National Health Service.

    PrEP and pills

    During his Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today, David Cameron told the House Of Commons that he wanted a decision from NHS England this month on whether they would fund PrEP, a game changing anti-HIV drug, that has had incredible results in stopping new HIV infections.

    The PM said that he recognised the growing rate of HIV in the UK and that he was pressing for a decision about the service’s ability to offer the PrEP drugs to those most at risk of contracting HIV.

    During his PMQs MP Mike Freer asked,

    “HIV infection rates are on the rise. NHS England has refused to fund Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs. Will he meet with me and leading charities to review?”

    Responding, David Cameron said,

    “NHS England is reconsidering this, I want them to make a decision this month. I recognise the growing rate of HIV in this country. I’ll make sure he gets the meetings he needs.”

    NHS England said that it would continue to pay for PEP, a treatment that can prevent HIV infection after the virus has entered a person’s body, but has fallen short from offering PrEP.

    Ian Green, CEO at Terrence Higgins Trust, welcomed the statement saying,

    “We welcome David Cameron committing NHS England to making a long overdue decision on HIV prevention game changer, PrEP, this month. Thank you to Mike Freer for continuing to champion this life changing HIV prevention tool.

    “We urgently need NHS England to make PrEP available for those most at risk. Every day this is delayed, seven men who have sex with men are infected with HIV.”

  • NHS Will Cover The Cost Of PEP But Will It Stretch To PrEP

    NHS England have confirmed responsibility for funding post exposure prophylaxis (PEP), a treatment that can prevent HIV infection after the virus has entered a person’s body.

    (C) marcbruxel Depositphotos
    (C) marcbruxel Depositphotos

    However, the battle continues to see NHS England accept the same responsibility for funding PrEP – a game-changing treatment that is taken before exposure to HIV. Earlier this year NHS England shelved structured plans for PrEP availability on the NHS, but then last week said they “will carefully consider its position on commissioning PrEP”.

    Ian Green, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

    “We are pleased that NHS England has finally been clear on their responsibility for reimbursing local authorities for antiretroviral drugs used to prevent HIV infection after exposure to the virus.

    “What remains to be seen is whether they will accept the same responsibility for funding PrEP, a pill taken once a day by HIV negative people who are at high risk to prevent transmission.

    “Every day that access to PrEP is delayed, seven men who have sex with men are infected with HIV, despite advances in HIV prevention. We need answers from NHS England on if and when access to PrEP will be available to those who are at highest risk. Only then can NHS England make a full commitment to HIV prevention.”

  • NHS Will Now Reconsider PrEP After Legal Threat From AIDs Charity

    The NHS in England has said it will now reconsider its position on PrEP prescription for gay men and other high risk groups after a legal threat from leading AIDs charity, the National AIDS Trust (NAT).

    (more…)

  • HIV Charity Shocked At Government “U-Turn” On PrEP

    A leading HIV Charity in the UK has blasted the Government after NHS England announced plans to make PrEP more widely available were shelved.

    (C) marcbruxel Depositphotos
    (C) marcbruxel Depositphotos

     

    Leading HIV Charity Terrence Higgins Trust have said that plans to hold off on making PrEP more widely available across the NHS was failing groups of people who are at risk of being infected with HIV.

    In a statement released by NHS England, it affirmed that rolling out the drug to groups most at risk of new infection, was not their responsibility- despite initial results of drug trials showing a dramatic decrease in new infections.

    NHS England said it was “committed to working with local authorities, Public Health England, the Department of Health and other stakeholders,” in order to bring the drug to a wider audience.

    The pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug if taken as directed is successful at reducing new HIV infections by 86%.

    Terrence Higgins Trust’s CEO said,

    “Over 2,500 men who have sex with men are diagnosed with HIV each year in the UK. This figure has not changed in a decade. It is quite clear that although we have had some huge advances in HIV treatment,  HIV prevention is something that we are still struggling with.

    “By denying full availability of PrEP we are failing those who are at risk of HIV. Today’s decision by NHS England to depart with due process, and, instead, offer a tokenistic nod to what has the potential to revolutionise HIV prevention in the UK, is shameful.

    ADVERT

    [adinserter block=”1″]

    £2 Million – “Tokenistic”

    NHS England announced that a £2 million fund would be created to ‘run a number of early implementer test sites’ and would include a further 500 500 men at high risk of HIV infection.

    According to NHS England these will be undertaken in conjunction with Public Health England and will seek to answer the remaining questions around how PrEP could be commissioned in the most cost effective and integrated way to reduce HIV and sexually transmitted infections in those at highest risk.

    THT have called the £2 million figure ‘arbitrary’.

    Ian Green continued,

    “£2 million over two years for 500 gay men ‘most at risk’ is an arbitrary figure which seems ill thought out and will still deny the protection that PrEP offers to the people who most need it. We know that PrEP works and already have substantial data from a real world setting from the PROUD trial. PrEP has already been approved in the  US, Kenya, Israel, Canada, France.

     “And yet, our own government refuses to take responsibility for PrEP. Today’s statement makes it no clearer who is responsible – is it the Department of Health, local authorities, the NHS or Public Health England? We need answers , we need access., and we demand both.”

     

  • Rainbow Lanyards Promotes Pro LGBT Environment in NHS

    A scheme which allows LGBT workers and their allies at a London NHS trust to wear rainbow lanyards has been hailed as a success.

    Last year Central and North West London Trust launched a scheme that introduced rainbow-coloured NHS lanyards for staff to reinforce the Trust’s values and promote an environment of openness in all the Trust’s services.

    Over a thousand staff members at the CNWL trust now wear the lanyards including 500 straight allies.

    Alison Devlin, CN WL’s Equalities and Diversity Manager, said,

    “The initiative has been a phenomenal success. Once a few people started wearing the lanyards then they quickly spread across our sites and services.

    “The lanyards are completely optional – Staff can choose to wear the rainbow version instead of the standard NHS blue ones to highlight their support for LGBT colleagues, patients and the public and to get people talking about LGBT topics in a more confident and open way.”

    Mrs Devlin first came up with the initiative after a Patient Experience Survey, carried out by The Advocacy Project (an independent advocacy organisation) on nine of the Trust’s inpatient mental health wards found that some patients preferred not to be open about their sexuality for fear of judgement from staff and other patients.

    Mrs Devlin continues:

    “This report really highlighted the importance of creating a more open environment and a better experience for LGBT patients. As a result of the findings we rolled out LGBT awareness training sessions for inpatient staff which, together with the lanyard scheme, has helped to encourage openness on the wards and transform the patient experience. They give a powerful message to people at a time when they might be feeling at their most vulnerable.”

    Lanyards are distributed with an information booklet that explains the scheme and includes signposting information to a variety of local, London-wide and national LGBT organisations. Staff are also automatically signed up to receive Straight Allies bulletins and educational links to further educate them about LGBT equality issues.

    Claire Murdoch, CNWL Chief Executive, said:

    “This was a really good initiative that raised issues in an unusual but everyday way and quite colourfully. We’re a diverse Trust and these small reminders add to a positive atmosphere.”

    The lanyards were rolled out in February 2015 during LGBT History Month and are promoted to staff continuously throughout the year.

  • COMMENT: Not Trans Enough – The cost of a “Gendered” name

    What’s the cost of a gendered name? Lola was discharged after the clinic that they* had attended for two years determined that not changing their name from Lola to a male gendered or gender neutral name did not warrant the surgery that would ultimately make them feel more like Lola.

    When I went to the gender identity clinic’s (GIC) welcoming session, they proudly told me that they treated non-binary transgender people. A non-binary person is someone who identifies as something other than male or female. I am agender, so I am neither of those options.

    It’s taken me a long time to get to where I am. I was born with a condition that caused me to not produce many hormones, including oestrogen and testosterone. I was put on hormone replacement therapy when I was 12 and now I take both oestrogen and testosterone.

    Being quite androgynous when I was younger, I got bullied frequently by others demanding to know my gender. That made me want to fit in. I didn’t resist hormone replacement therapy when I was 12. I embraced it. It was about growing older to me. But the more I developed, the worse I felt.

    When I discovered the concept of “agender”, it fit. It matched how I felt my entire life and it just made sense to me. I suspected for years and years that I wanted my chest to not be there any more. And when I finally put on a binder – everything fit.

    For the last five years, I’ve been pursuing chest surgery. Unfortunately, my chest isn’t large enough to merit what I want through the NHS. So, with the encouragement of my doctors and despite the warnings from other non-binary people, I went through the GIC.

    I waited two years in total from start to finish to be denied. I had two assessments with two different psychiatrists, lasting an hour and a half each. In three hours, I told the truth. I told them where I came from, what I’d been through, and what I needed from them.

    Two days ago, I received a discharge from the GIC. It stated:

    “We would not countenance endorsement of an irreversible surgical procedure unless the individual had been able to demonstrably consolidate a social transition including name change to the preferred gender role.”

    I don’t recall even begin asked during my assessment if I had plans to change my name. The name I go by is Lola. I love it. I don’t care if it’s not “gender neutral” because my experience of being androgynous early in life is that no matter what, if people can’t guess your gender, they’ll just ask.

    Changing my name to something gender neutral won’t actually make anyone see me for who I am. It’ll just make people ask me what I am. I don’t live in a society where people will ever see me as agender just from looks, so, as frustrated as it makes me, I cope with it by trying my best to accept it. What’s more important for me is having my body feel right.

    And it doesn’t. As the summer months approach, my anxiety increases thinking of the way the heat reminds me of the constant presence of my chest. Every day I feel like I’m lugging around two giant tumours. The psychological relief I feel by wearing a binder is good, but the physical discomfort and pain of it cutting into my skin makes it not a good enough long-term solution.

    While I owe my life to the NHS and I am glad for the treatment I receive for my disability, the lack of money allocated toward GICs only means that they are forced to pick and choose. Individuals who go to a GIC and wait 9-6 months for a first appointment and longer to be assessed, we’re not confused about what we want.

    The journey it takes to realising your gender is different and your need for medical assistance begins way before you reach a GIC, so most already know how they feel before they get assessed. Still, with a limited pot of funding, I suppose they must make decisions based on ridiculous, outdated criteria.

    Criteria that make it impossible for agender people to actually receive any care.

    Around this time of Transgender Visibility, I would like people to know and see the struggles transgender and non-binary people face to receive care. And maybe, in time, “GIC” won’t be such a tumultuous word among transgender people.

    Lola is currently fundraising for their chest surgery via YouCaring.

    *We asked Lola which pronoun they were most comfortable us using to describe them.

    This article was taken from Issue 11 of TheGayUK. To Subscribe click here

    by Lola

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Clinic Gains Funds To Run Club Drug Clinic For London Boroughs

    Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) has been funded to run a Club Drug Clinic specifically for the London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster.

    The CNWL Club Drug Clinic is a dedicated service for anyone who has developed problems with ‘club drugs’ including students, clubbers and a range of other users. In partnership with the Antidote/London Friend service, the CNWL Club Drug Clinic also provides a culturally competent specialist service for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual) people.

    The clinic’s staff are addictions experts who specialise in problems associated with psychoactive drugs including GBL/GHB, Mephedrone, Ketamine, Methamphetamine, MDMA, legal highs and research chemicals.

    The multi-disciplinary team provides a range of evidence-based tailored treatment and recovery interventions including, medically assisted detoxification, psychological therapies, peer support, family work and assistance with employment.

    The clinic also offers a range of additional services including on-site sexual health screening including HIV and blood borne viruses, mental health assessment and referral and liaison and referral for physical health problems including ketamine-related bladder harm. The service is at the forefront of developing the research evidence.

    Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Owen Bowden-Jones, who established the clinic in 2010, said;

    “UK drug services have traditionally focused on heroin and crack cocaine addiction. Club drugs, such as Ketamine, Mephedrone, GBL and so called legal highs, present new challenges. These drugs are often used by people who don’t fit the traditional stereotype of a drug user. Instead, our clients tend to be working professionals in their 20s and 30s who started taking drugs socially in clubs or at University.

    “Despite the common reputation of club drugs as relatively harmless and recreational, the clinic has seen club drug use escalate and cause psychological, physical and social problems such as psychosis, dependence and relationship breakdown. These issues are similar to the problems we see with more traditional drugs.”

    For more information about the clinic, visit www.clubdrugclinic.com.