Policies and Guidance on Trans Inclusive Healthcare

This page contains information about policies and guidance for the whole UK and UK nations.

For local policies for specific ICBs, health boards, or trusts, see our Local healthcare policies page.

For general information for healthcare professionals about providing information to trans people, see our Information for Healthcare Professionals page.

All professionals

• British Medical Association: Inclusive care of trans and non-binary patients
• General Medical Council: Five key points on providing inclusive care to transgender and gender diverse patients
• LGBT Foundation: Exploring LGBTQIA+ migrant inclusion in healthcare: best practice guide and report
• Kings College London: Recommendations for Trans Inclusive Healthcare (pdf)
• Kings College London: ABC of LGBT+ Inclusive Communication: A guide for health and social care professionals
• NHS England: Delivering same-sex accommodation
• NHS Health Education England: How To Be A Trans Ally
• Primary Health Care: How to improve inclusive care for transgender people
• Sabah Choudry: Supporting Trans People of Colour
• The Health and Care Professions Council: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics

Ambulance services

• National Ambulance LGBT+ Network: This is me: transitioning while working in the ambulance service
• National Ambulance LGBT+ Network: Challenging the Anti-Trans Movement
• The Ambulance Service: The Ambulance Service Trans Toolkit

Anaesthesia and critical care

• BJA Education: Perioperative considerations for transgender and gender diverse adults
• British Journal of Anaesthesia: Perioperative considerations for transgender women undergoing routine surgery: a narrative review (pdf)
• Journal of the Intensive Care Society: Management of transgender patients in critical care

Counselling

• Bonhomme, Davies, and Beattie: Gender Affirming Therapy: A Guide to What Transgender and Non-Binary Clients Can Teach Us
• LGBT Foundation: NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression: LGBTQ+ Positive Practice Guide
• Sally Rymer and Valentina Cartei: Counselling Skills for Working with Gender Diversity and Identity
• Sally Rymer and Valentina Cartei: Working with Trans Survivors of Sexual Violence
• Youth Access: Addressing inequity in service provision for trans and gender diverse young people

Defence medical services

• Journal of Clinical Nursing: Meeting the healthcare needs of transgender people within the armed forces: putting UK military policy into practice
• Ministry of Defence: Recruitment and management of transgender personnel in the armed forces (pdf)

Dentistry

• British Dental Journal: Considerations in the management of trans patients
• Dentistry: How to be considerate towards transgender and non-binary patients

Dermatology

• Australasian Journal of Dermatology: Dermatological considerations for transgender and gender diverse patients: An Australian perspective
• International Journal of Transgender Health: Dermatological aspects of gender affirming medical treatment in transgender and gender diverse people: a systematic review

Endocrinology

• Clinical Diabetes: Considerations for Transgender People With Diabetes

Fertility

• Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority: Code of Practice (pdf)
• International Journal of Transgender Health: Clinical management of transgender and non-binary patients in the fertility preservation service: Current evidence
• International Journal of Transgender Health: Fertility counseling guide for transgender and gender diverse people

Gastroenterology

• Gastroenterology: Approaching Digestive Health Care in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Communities

General practice

• Care Quality Commission: Adult trans care pathway: what CQC expects from GP practices
• Clinical Diabetes: Considerations for Transgender People With Diabetes
• Jessica Kingsley Publishers: Transgender health – a practitioners guide to binary and non-binary trans patient care
• Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland: The care of transgender patients by GPs
• NHS England: Primary Care Responsibilities in Prescribing and Monitoring Hormone Therapy for Transgender and Non-Binary Adults
• NHS England: Updated information for primary care – government restrictions on use of puberty suppressing hormones (puberty blockers)
• NHS England: Responsibility for prescribing between primary and secondary/tertiary care (pdf)
• NHS England PCSE: Patient registrations: gender reassignment
• NHS Wales: Endocrine management of gender incongruence in adults: Prescribing guidance for non-specialist practitioners (pdf)
• Practice Index: Gender Identity Toolkit for General Practice

Genetic counselling

• BJC Reports: UK recommendations for the management of transgender and gender-diverse patients with inherited cancer risks
• Journal of Genetic Counselling: Trans-inclusive genetic counseling services: Recommendations from members of the transgender and non-binary community
• Journal of Genetic Counselling: Considerations in genetic counseling of transgender patients: Cultural competencies and altered disease risk profiles

Haematology

• Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee: Donor Selection and Donation Management for Transgender and Non-Binary Donors (pdf)
• Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee: Transgender and Non-Binary Individuals

Laboratory medicine

• Annals of Clinical Biochemistry: International Journal of Laboratory Medicine: Current practice and recommendations for managing transgender patient data in clinical laboratories in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland

Neurology

• Neurology Clinical Practice: Neurologic Care for Transgender and Gender-Diverse People – A Review of Current Evidence and Clinical Implications

Nursing

• Nursing Reports: Best Nursing Practice: Safe and Inclusive Healthcare Environments for Transgender People: A Systematic Review
• Nursing Standard: Supporting transgender patients with their personal hygiene
• Public Health England: Preventing Suicide Among Trans Young People: A Toolkit for Nurses
• RCN Mental Health Practice: Issues affecting trans* young people: considerations for mental health nurses
• The Royal College of Nursing: Caring for lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans clients or patients: Guide for nurses and health care support workers on next of kin issues (pdf)

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

• Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology: Introduction to healthcare for transgender and gender-diverse people
• BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth: From erasure to opportunity: a qualitative study of the experiences of transgender men around pregnancy and recommendations for providers
• Care Quality Commission: Adult trans care pathway: What CQC expects from maternity and gynaecology services
• LGBT Health and Wellbeing: Providing Maternity Care for LGBTQ+ Families
• The Obstetrician and Gynaecologist: The transgender population: improving awareness for gynaecologists and their role in the provision of care
• The Student Midwife: Inclusive Language

Oncology

• BJC Reports: UK recommendations for the management of transgender and gender-diverse patients with inherited cancer risks
• BMJ Oncology: Implications of hormonal carcinogenesis for transgender and gender-diverse people undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy: an up-to-date review
• British Journal of Cancer: Prostate cancer in transgender women: considerations for screening, diagnosis and management
• British Oncology Pharmacy Association and OUTPatients: TRANS:cribing – Clinical considerations for safe and inclusive prescribing for transgender and non-binary patients
• Current Genetic Medicine Reports: Considerations in Management for Trans and Gender Diverse Patients with Inherited Cancer Risk
• OUTPatients: Safe and supportive prescribing in transgender and non-binary patients with cancer

Orthodontics

• Journal of Orthodontics: Gender dysphoria: An overview for orthodontists

Paediatric care

• NHS England: Referral pathway for specialist service for children and young people with gender incongruence
• The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: Supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people – principle statement

Paediatric mental health

• NHS England: Referral pathway for Children and Young People’s Gender Services: Guidance for NHS Mental Health Services

Palliative and end of life care

• Hospice UK: Providing palliative and end of life care to trans and gender diverse communities
• Marie Curie: Palliative and end of life care for LGBTQ+ people
• NHS England ELFH: Inclusive palliative and end-of-life care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) people

People management

• ACAS: Gender reassignment discrimination
• CIPD: Supporting transgender and non-binary people at work: Guide for people professionals
• GIRES: Gender Diversity Policy Guide for Employers
• Health and Care Professions Council: Employer insight: Supporting transgender employees in the workplace
• NHS Blood and Transplant: Transitioning at Work Policy
• UK Government: What to do if an employee changes gender
• UNISON: Transgender worker’s rights

Pharmacy

• Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education: Transgender healthcare – consulting with dignity and respect
• Community Pharmacy England: Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Prescription Regulations
• LGBT Foundation: Pride in Pharmacy: Developing LGBTQ+ Inclusion within Community Pharmacies
• PDA LGBT+ Pharmacists Network: Position Statement: Support for patients with gender incongruence
• The Pharmaceutical Journal: Best practice principles for inclusive care of transgender and non-binary patients

Physiotherapy

• The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists: Position statement on transphobia
• The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists: Transgender equality and discrimination

Prisons

• Ministry of Justice: The Care and Management of Individuals Who Are Transgender (pdf)
• Scottish Prison Service: SPS Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody

Psychiatry

• The Royal College of Psychiatrists: Advancing Mental Health Equality (pdf)

Psychology

• Institute for Public Safety, Crime & Justice: Practice and Ethical Guidance for Clinical Staff Supporting Trans Clients Sentenced to Mental Health Treatment Requirements

Radiography

• Radiography: Care of transgender patients by diagnostic radiographers: What can be learnt from the literature
• The Society of Radiographers: Providing good, appropriate care for transgender and non-binary patients

Radiology

• Clinical Radiology: Breast/chest imaging findings and clinical considerations in transgender patients
• The Royal College of Radiologists: Improving cancer care for sexual and gender minorities

Sexual health

• Jo’s Trust: Barriers for cervical screening for trans and/or nonbinary people (archived)
• Nursing In Practice: How To Support Trans Men and Nonbinary Patients With Cervical Screening

Speech and language therapy

• Care Quality Commission: Adult trans care pathway: What CQC expects from speech and language therapy services
• The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: Trans voice
• The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: Trans and Gender-Diverse Voice and Communication Therapy Competency Framework

Surgery

• The Bulletin of the Royal College of Surgeons of England: How can surgeons help transgender patients and colleagues feel welcome?

Transition-related healthcare

• Healthcare Improvement Scotland: Gender identity healthcare services standards (pdf)
• NHS Education for Scotland: Transgender Care Knowledge and Skills Framework
• The Royal College of Physicians: Professional Certificates for Gender Identity Healthcare Professionals
• The Royal College of Psychiatrists: Good Practice Guidelines For The Assessment and Treatment of Adults With Gender Dysphoria

Urology

• British Journal of Nursing: Urological issues following gender reassignment surgery
• Urology News: Management of urological issues following genital gender affirmation surgery for individuals assigned female at birth