Mum speaks out as worries long delays to gender identity services in Leeds could be having severe mental health impact

• Report by Adam Fowler

A West Yorkshire mum says her son may not be here if he'd had to wait over two years to be seen by the Leeds Gender Identity Development Service (GIDs).

'Helen', not her real name, is speaking out after waiting times for a first appointment have increased to over two years.

It comes as the service, which is run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, was recently rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission.

The report said that such long waiting times for the UK’s main gender identity development service for children is leaving thousands of vulnerable young people at risk of self-harm.

'Helen's' son waited seven months to be seen by the Leeds clinic, which is the only permanent clinic outside London, after he was referred five years ago.

She says her son, who was born female, started to really suffer with his mental health as he hit puberty and started to develop.

"He used to call himself a boy when he was little, behave like a boy play rugby just a tomboy. 

"He started to think it was his sexuality, but then I think school started to pick it up, that it was gender identity and not sexuality."

After seeing their GP, he was referred to the clinic and seen within seven months.

"If he'd have had to wait the two years that it is now, he wouldn't be here. 

"He would not be here, I know he wouldn't. He was one of the children who was incredibly suicidal. 

"I would not have a son and I've said that a lot of times."

After her son was seen he was prescribed puberty blockers, which is a course of medication that delays puberty and can avoid the distress caused by a body developing in an unwanted way.

She says it massively improved his mental health.

However, following a High Court Ruling made in December, puberty blockers can no longer be prescribed to under 16s without court approval.

Three High Court judges ruled that children under 16 with gender dysphoria are "unlikely to be able to give informed consent to undergo treatment with puberty-blocking drugs".

The NHS says this move harms young people with gender dysphoria and is appealing the decision.

80% of those who responded to a survey by Goldsmiths University alongside the charity Mermaids found that the decision had had a negative impact on their mental health.

Dr Anna Carlile, who was involved in the study, said some families said their children were in so much distress at the prospect of further delays to treatment that they were thinking of leaving the country.

"Where they have other parents in school here some parents are thinking that one parent will have to stay here with the other kids and take the trans child abroad and live with them there so they can get the treatment they want", she said.

The Care Quality Commission is now calling for urgent improvements to waiting times and the ability to access the service for young people.

But Helen's convinced it may already be too late for some.

"There will be children that don't see it through.  And I don't think people understand that they just think it's a whim it's a fashion it's a fad, it's nothing like that at all. 

"It's horrendous for them, it's not what they want, they've got no option."

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust said:

"The growth in referrals has exceeded the capacity of our service. We would like to say sorry to patients for the length of time they are waiting to be seen.

"We know the difficulty this wait is causing them and their families. We have submitted a plan to improve the management of our waiting list to our regulator the Care Quality Commission, and we are working with our commissioners and others to improve access to the service."

If you need support:

• If you are in the UK, you can call the Samaritans on 116123

• Gendered Intelligence is a charity working to increase understandings of gender diversity and improve trans people's quality of life

• TranzWiki is a directory of the groups supporting or assisting trans individuals and their families across the UK.

• Mermaids helps gender-diverse young people and their families across the UK