Wales pauses gender reassignment surgeries

All gender reassignment surgeries in Wales are on hold due to concerns over “disproportionately higher” referrals compared to the rest of the UK.

The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC) has instructed the Welsh Gender Service to pause referrals and scheduled surgeries due to “concerns regarding referral appropriateness” and has requested an independent clinical review.

Last year, referrals for “gender-affirming” surgeries in Wales were almost four times as high as England.