FOI 2025/1339

Please have reference to these two prior FOIA requests responded to by NHS England:
1. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whatdotheyknow.com%2Frequest%2Fwaiting_times_for_gender_identit&data=05%7C02%7Cnhsgm.foi%40nhs.net%7C4648ac6165e34cf59bc508dddf20f44a%7C37c354b285b047f5b22207b48d774ee3%7C0%7C1%7C638912054812970363%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=QhhPwqI96IGt%2BqDenPykWJd4978ILzaf9uQ5YpOpR4s%3D&reserved=0
2. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whatdotheyknow.com%2Frequest%2Falternative_providers_for_gender&data=05%7C02%7Cnhsgm.foi%40nhs.net%7C4648ac6165e34cf59bc508dddf20f44a%7C37c354b285b047f5b22207b48d774ee3%7C0%7C1%7C638912054813016109%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ju%2FMdHkjE6GhOI4XB%2BJeC6bMbSIaO24lejkTIwcIKfY%3D&reserved=0

The former request concerns closely related issues, and the latter request specifically directed me to ask ICBs. This request is a duplicate of the latter request, except that it is tailored to be specific to your ICB and omits item 4.

Please have reference to The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, SI 2012/2996, pt 9 https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegislation.gov.uk%2Fuksi%2F2012%2F2996%2Fpart%2F9&data=05%7C02%7Cnhsgm.foi%40nhs.net%7C4648ac6165e34cf59bc508dddf20f44a%7C37c354b285b047f5b22207b48d774ee3%7C0%7C1%7C638912054813043929%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zJo9hPGRZTCQRT67H5wQinvRmJzCT0HuZLxJSon%2BD2A%3D&reserved=0 (as amended) (which I refer to below as “the RTT regulations”).
This request is about treatment of any kind directly related to or arising from a person being transgender or non-binary, including assessment/diagnosis or treatment for gender dysphoria, hormone replacement therapy, hair removal, surgery, puberty blockers, etc. (all of which I refer to below as “gender care”).
Pursuant to the FOIA, I respectfully request the following information, as to your ICB, and only to the extent it is not fully duplicative of NHS England’s responses to either of the two FOIA requests noted above:
1. since 2012, the number of, and identity of every, “suitable health service provider”(s) for gender care as defined by reg 44 of the RTT regulations;
2. since 2012, the number of people who, for gender care, fulfil subparagraph (a) of the definition of “suitable health service provider” under reg 44 (ability to provide services), irrespective of whether they fulfil subparagraph (b) (commissioning contract)
3. since 2012, details of all efforts made by your ICB (and any “relevant body”) to enter into commissioning contracts with all persons qualified to provide gender care under subparagraph (b) of the definition of “suitable health service provider” under reg 44, and of the reasons why your ICB (and any “relevant body”) has failed to contract with providers who would otherwise be qualified (i.e. under subparagraph (a) alone)
4. (omitted);
5. details, as to gender care, under regs 47 & 48, broken down (if reasonably feasible within the FOIA costs limit) by each “relevant health service provider” (or as to all of your ICB, if not feasible), and further broken down (if reasonably feasible within the FOIA costs limit) by each statistical year since 2020, of a. the number of people referred within the meaning of reg 47(2); b. the number of notifications of non-treatment under reg 47(4), broken down by 47(4)(a) vs 47(4)(b) and by 47(5)(a) vs 47(5)(b) to the extent that data is available; c. the number of people offered an alternative provider appointment within the meaning of reg 48(1); d. the identity of every entity qualified for such appointments under reg 48(2) (or a statement that this is identical to the response to item 1 above) e. all available statistics (e.g. mean, s.d., N, highest 10%, maximum pending, etc) about the referral to treatment time as to referral to the alternative provider within the meaning of reg 48(3); and f. the number of people offered more than one suitable health service provider within the meaning of reg 48(4);
6. for each statistical year since 2020, the number of people exempted from the duty to refer to alternative providers for gender care due to reg 49, broken down by each sub-paragraph of reg 49 (i.e. (2) & (3) failures to appear, (4) choice to delay, (5) decision of disinterest, (6) inability, (7) assessed lack of need, (8) assessed need for prior monitoring) (n.b. (9) & (10) don’t apply to gender care);
7. for each statistical year since 2020, the number of services for gender care “establish[ed]” under reg 54(1)(a) or 54(2)(a);
8. since 2012, all names and contact details published for gender care under reg 54(1)(b) or 54(2)(b); and
9. since 2012, high-level, non-individual (e.g. campaign/programme-level) details of all “communicat[ions]” for gender care under reg 54(1)(c) or 54(2)(c).
For all parts requesting statistical information, please include the date of accuracy/computation of that information and the to/from dates which it covers, and specifically identify the source(s) of that information (i.e. with sufficient specificity to precisely identify the source record(s) in a future FOIA request).
If any sub-part(s) of this request would, by themselves, cause you to be unable to fulfil this request within the FOIA reasonable cost limit, please explain why as to each such subpart, consider that sub-part to be withdrawn, and fulfil the remainder of this request.

Questions 1 – 7. NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (NHS GM) does not hold information, further to that already provided by NHS England (NHSE) in link 2, attached above.
In relation to questions 8 & 9, for which the requester was advised by NHSE to direct to NHS GM, please note that:
Question 8. NHS GM has not published contact details for gender care
Question 9. NHS GM has not issued any communication campaigns for gender care