Welsh Gender Service

(The Welsh Gender Service was first announced by the Health Minister, Vaughan Gething AM, at Pride Cymru 2017. We accept referrals from all over Wales to provide support and treatment to those experiencing gender incongruence. We are a multidisciplinary administrative and clinical team made up of gender physicians, a psychologist and endocrine.

The Wales Gender Team (WGT) is based at St David’s Hospital in Cardiff with Local Gender Teams (LGT) based in each health board in Wales. We all work together in order to provide gender care focusing on the hormonal, psychological and social aspects of gender.

The majority of appointments for patients will be with gender specialist clinicians, some of whom may have a background in psychology or psychiatry. Although we don’t view gender incongruence as mental illness, we feel the skillsets of these professionals are invaluable in assisting with assessment and support, and treatment planning.

The Welsh Gender Team

Umbrella Cymru

Umbrella Cymru provides peer support to anyone on the waiting list for an appointment. This is an opportunity to receive regular contact from someone with lived experience of gender incongruence and transition processes. It will give you someone to talk to about how you’re feeling whilst waiting for your appointment, as well as a point of contact to request any additional support you might want or need.

If you wish to access this service you will be asked to provide consent by completing a consent form, and you will then be contacted by whichever medium you prefer. They will discuss the process with you and provide information on what services are available. If you dont consent for Umbrella Cymru to contact you at we will respect that, however please be assured that you can change your mind at any time. Find out more about the support available and the contact details you will need. 

Communication with WGS

WGS patients can contact the team via email or by telephone on: 029 2183 6612 if you have any administrative queries regarding: 

• Appointment times and dates
• Receipt of paperwork/correspondence sent to you by the clinic
• Other general administrative enquiries

We appreciate that the transition process can be anxiety provoking and stressful at times, and that waiting times can be frustrating. However, we would ask that you treat our administrative staff with care and respect. The WGS is a busy NHS service and our team are constantly working to the best of their ability to help you.

Concerns and complaints

If you are unhappy with the treatment or care you are receiving, we would encourage you to raise your concerns as soon as possible, preferably to senior staff on duty at the time of an incident, or the service manager. Alternatively, please contact a member of the Concerns Department on 029 2074 4095 or 029 2074 3301, and they will be happy to discuss your concerns with you and pass them on to the relevant department. You can also email the team at concerns@wales.nhs.uk or download and complete a form here. 

Useful links

Below are some links to organisations and legal information that you may find helpful:

• TranzWiki
• Trans Health Factsheets
• Gender Identity Research & Education Society
• Umbrella Cymru
• Morf Binder Exchange
• Legal name change
• Apply for Gender Recognition Certificate