Trans adults in the UK waiting at least a third of their lives to access gender-affirming healthcare through the NHS

New data has revealed that many trans adults across the UK are waiting up to a third of their lives - or longer - to access gender-affirming healthcare through the NHS.

A joint investigation by QueerAF, What the Trans?, and Claire’s Trans Talks, based on Freedom of Information requests, has uncovered that as of March 2025, over 48,000 people were on waiting lists for their first appointment at one of the UK’s 15 adult gender clinics. For every person seen in 2024, four more joined the queue, highlighting a system buckling under demand.

The average wait time across the UK now stands at 25 years, with regional disparities painting an even bleaker picture. In Nottingham, the wait is around three years, but in Belfast, it stretches to 41 years, and in Glasgow, the projected wait is 224 years - a figure that effectively means some trans people will never receive care. 

Claire Prosho, founder of Claire’s Trans Talks, described the figures as “disappointing but unsurprising,” calling for the NHS to abandon its outdated diagnostic model in favour of an informed consent approach, aligned with international best practices and developed in consultation with the trans community.

Last month, NHS England launched a £125,000 wellbeing pilot aimed at providing clinical and emotional support to those stuck on waiting lists. The initiative includes digital mental health resources and community-based services, but critics argue it’s a stopgap measure that fails to address the root of the crisis.