A Sheffield GP surgery has announced it will no longer prescribe hormone treatment for adult transgender patients which could result in some being driven to the black market. 

Far Lane Medical Centre sent a letter to all its transgender patients stating that they would no longer be prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or hormone monitoring from April 1 this year.

The Hillsborough-based GP practice said after an “exceptionally challenging” year they have decided to “opt out of the enhanced services” for transgender healthcare. 

Sheffield resident, Cameron, 37, who has been receiving hormone treatment from the surgery since 2023, said: “I think the best word to describe it is panic. It wasn’t a complete surprise, but it was definitely a shock.”

Cameron received a letter on March 5, which has been seen by SheffieldWire, giving him just under a month’s notice to find an alternative care provider for the treatment. 

He said: “I would probably want to go down the route of DIY if there was no other available option. If I go off Testosterone that will lead me to be misgendered more often and just put me at increased risk of violence.”

Cameron said that reaching out to other GP practices has been a real struggle with some in Sheffield saying that they are no longer accepting new transgender patients.

He has reached out to Councillor Minesh Parekh, who lives in Hillsborough, but represents Crookes and Crosspool. 

Cllr Parekh said: “I completely support trans constituents in appealing against Far Lane Medical Centre’s decision.

“I have concerns that the decision could discriminate against trans patients, contrary to the 2010 Equalities Act, particularly because I understand that the surgery is continuing to offer HRT prescriptions to cisgender patients.”

In response, Far Lane Medical Centre said the provision of HRT specifically to trans patients does not form part of their ‘core contract’ and is an optional enhanced service with separate funding.

They added: “The prescribing of hormonal medication for adult transgender patients is almost solely initiated by specialist secondary care services, with the continued prescribing and monitoring undertaken under a shared care agreement, often with significant support from these specialist services. 

As well as stopping HRT for transgender patients, the surgery is also cutting other services, including Anticoagulation Monitoring and Suspected Cancer Two Week Wait Dermatoscopic Imaging.

Earlier this year, several Nottingham GPs sent similar letters to transgender and non-binary patients stating that they would be ending gender-affirming care. 

Gender affirming care can include hormone therapy or having surgery to make your appearance better align with your gender.

Stopping HRT can lead to many of the changes it instigates being reversed, such as hair growth or fat redistribution.

In order to be prescribed HRT by a GP, transgender adults have to be seen by a private or NHS specialist gender clinic.

The average waiting time for an initial assessment at The Porter Brook Medical centre in Sheffield is 71 months.

However a freedom of information request revealed the real-terms waiting time can be as long as 22 years at Sheffield’s only gender identity clinic, which forces many people to seek assessments at private clinics which can cost upwards of £500.

Chay Brown, director for health care at charity TransActual said that these actions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to failings in trans healthcare in the UK.

He said: “It’s desperate. If you can’t find a GP who’s willing to prescribe, you’ve only really got a few options depending on how much money you have. You either go private and spend money that you probably don’t have and have to go short elsewhere, or, for a lot of people, if they can’t afford to go private, they’ll go on the black market.”

He added that there is no guarantee that medication bought online is not counterfeit, and if GPs are refusing to do blood tests to monitor hormone levels, there are serious health risks for patients.

Charlie*, a former nurse, said the risks of abruptly stopping HRT can also have serious medical implications. When trans people have had lower surgeries they will no longer be producing hormones of their own. Without hormone treatment this can lead to them developing conditions like osteoporosis.

They said: “The GPs are actually creating more work and expense because those people are going to get very very sick.”

Mr Brown added: “If your doctor stops prescribing you a medication that you need, for a reason that’s not to do with your health needs, then what does that tell you about your GP’s attitude towards you? What does that mean for people’s willingness to go back to their GP in the future when they’re ill?”

In the initial letter sent to Far Lane Medical Centre’s patients the surgery said: “This is not a decision we have taken lightly but due to the closure of NHS centres including the Tavistock, we feel we are not in a position to provide this additional service.”

The Tavistock Centre is a gender identity clinic based in London, which for adults is still operational.

Sheffield Wire has contacted Gill Furniss, the MP for Brightside and Hillsborough, who has also been in touch with the medical centre, raising concerns about discrimination, as the surgery confirmed that it will still be prescribing HRT to cisgender women going through the menopause.

Cllr Parekh has contacted South Yorkshire Mayor, who is also chair of NHS and South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

He said: “I hope that the GP practice will reconsider its decision and resume providing gender affirming care – and that the NHS and South Yorkshire ICB will consider the issue and work to ensure all trans people face no barrier to the gender affirming care.”

The NHS and South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board were contacted but said they were unable to comment due to the impending local elections. 

In South Yorkshire, only Doncaster voters are set to go to the polls in May this year.

Cameron, who is very concerned about his future, said: “I would like to see Sheffield become a city of sanctuary for trans people. I would like to have care reinstated and a commitment from the ICB to ensure ongoing health care for trans patients, including shared care.” 

*not their real name.