This article is a continuation of my last article about my transphobic GP, I reccommend reading that one first, you can find it here
Since I last wrote about my experiences of transphobia with my doctor a lot has changed. Primariy, I now have a gender dysphoria diagnosis and a referral letter to an endocrinlogist, I got these things through a counsellor working for one of the new NHS pilot schemes (also, I've supposedly been referred to a GIC, for whatever that's worth).
In theory this letter and diagnosis should entitle me to be seen by an endocrinologist. Unfortunately however, nothing is ever easy with the NHS and in this case the difficulties I'm experienceing arose from the fact that I need my local GP to pass my referral letter onto the endocrinologist on my behalf, my local GP seems either unwilling to do this or incompetent.
I called my GP not long after I got my referral letter and they asked me to forward it to them, which I did. They said that they'd send it to the endocrinologist. Unfortunately however, that's not the end of the story; I called back 3 weeks later after having heard nothing only to find that they hadn't sent the letter at all, they'd wasted 3 weeks of my life for nothing. I put the phone down with the assurance that they'd sort out my referral.
The following day (and the day of writing) I recieved a text from my GP practice asking me to call them regarding my endocrinologist referral (to my GP's credit, they did actually address me by my chosen name even though I'd never asked for that). I was in college at the time but I thought that this was important enough to step out of class, so I did (with my tutor's permission of course). I waited in a long phone queue to then be greeted by a receptionist, I asked them about the referral to an endocrinologist and they seemed completely clueless about it; they could see my GIC referral but nothing about the endocrinologist appointment that was supposedly made three weeks ago, cue another long wait on hold. Once they returned I was offered an unnecessary appointment to "discuss" this referaral, I tried to put my foot down and insisted that the appointment was unnecessary and all that needed to happen is them sending a letter, cue another long wait on hold. The receptionist came back and insisted that I "really should have the appointment", I yielded and begrudgingly accepted the appointment, which is scheduled for the 31st of March, there goes another two weeks of my life and another two weeks that I'll have to pay for hormones out of my own pocket.
And this is where I'm at right now; I'm stressed, upset, frustrated and (not being ashamed to use vulgarities to express the strength of my feelings) I'm frankly pissed off. It would take my GP practice much less time and money to just submit my referral like they're required to do so, but instead they'd rather waste GP time, and to what end? To gatekeep me?
One thing is for certain, I don't look forward to that appointment on the 31st, but I'm not going to give up no matter what.