What progress has been made at improving waiting times for the Welsh Gender Service, and what impact will restrictions put in place by NHS England in light of the Cass Report have on these waiting times?
The Welsh Gender Service reports one of the shorter waiting times for first assessments than any of the comparable NHS gender services in England. The Welsh Gender Service is committed to reducing these waiting times further.
The current waiting time reduced by eight months since 2021-22 thanks to increased investment from the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (now the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee) in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The Cass review looked at gender services for children and young people, not services for adults. The Joint Commissioning Committee will consider the findings and how they apply with our commitment to continue to develop the adult service.