I'm starting to think about transitioning privately. Does anyone have any experience of this UK based? I need to know if I start the process privately, will the NHS take over prescriptions etc and top surgery waiting list? Or is it that once you start private, you have to stay private. Also, what do the costs look like month to month?
When I looked about 3 months ago, top surgery was around £4,000-£6,000 but it also costs £200 per meeting; so you're probably looking to save £5,000-£7,000. I don't think it would take more than 5 meetings. I'm not sure about bottom surgery and I think you can go over to the NHS as well.
I was hoping to start transitioning privately and then have top surgery on the NHS if possible. Although I bet the waiting list is ridiculous.
Using the NHS for one does not stop a person from going private, so I imagine it's the same the other way around. But the rest is something that your GP/therapist etc, or someone here with more knowledge will have to tell you, because even after a couple of months of trying to find an answer to that very question I'm still not sure how it all works.
There are two private clinics that I know of but I've heard the waiting times for both are still months long. If you start with a private clinic and go on T with them then the NHS will still take over your gender care for top surgery and monitoring your T and all. Both practices just don't like you going for the same reason so if get on at privately and when you have your NHS appointment let them know you've been seeking care elsewhere or they tend to get a bit funny as you can't have two practices administering the same service at the same time.
You should enter into something called a shared care agreement when you go private. so basically you see the gender clinic for the psychiatrist and the endocrinologist (which is about 200 quid per appointment, think it's minimum 3 appointments before getting T), but you get your T from your GP through the NHS. and then in terms of top surgery you can get that on the NHS if you want. And I'm pretty sure you get your T via injection once a month at your GPs in the UK, so guessing that probably also done via the NHS. Having gone private myself, but have been considering it, so this is just information I've picked up a long the way. ---------- Post added 9th Oct 2016 at 10:03 PM ---------- This youtuber transitioned privately and did a video about it, he posted it a while ago but it's still pretty helpful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jdUQh4XP3Y
