Welsh Gender Service Satellite Clinic Operational for Patients in North Wales

The Welsh Gender Service has recently reached a milestone landmark in its delivery of care across Wales with the introduction of its first satellite clinic for patients in North Wales.

Based at St David’s Hospital in Cardiff, the Welsh Gender Service is a tertiary service that provides holistic, patient-centred care focused on hormonal, psychological and social aspects of transition.

Delivering services for patients across Wales, to date patients have either accessed clinic appointments virtually, or have travelled to the capital for face-to-face appointments.

With a commitment to provide patients with a more equitable provision of face-to-face appointments, the Service has been working with colleagues to develop satellite clinics across the nation to ensure these are more accessible for more individuals.

The clinics, which are staffed by Welsh Gender Service clinicians, will take place monthly, with patients being offered appointments based upon where they fall in the waiting list but with a choice of location; be that virtual, Cardiff or now North Wales.

The first satellite clinic is hosted at Panton Surgery, Holywell with the Practice Manager and the wider team working tirelessly in collaboration with the service to ensure these clinics are operational.

A spokesperson from Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) commented: “As commissioners of the service we are really pleased and supportive of the opening of the new satellite clinic. Bringing care closer to home for patients is a key objective for WHSSC and this is a really good example of how the team have worked hard to put patients at the heart of service development and we wish them every success.”

The Welsh Gender Service is hoping to continue to expand its provision of satellite clinics across Wales in the next twelve months to ensure more individuals can access face-to-face appointments with clinicians, closer to their homes.