Information for Referrers and Healthcare Professionals
Making a referral
NHS Gender National Referral Support Service manage all referrals to NHS Gender Services on behalf of NHS England, including the NHS Adult Gender Service Waiting List.
The NHS Gender Services commissioned by NHS England can be found here: NHS gender dysphoria clinics
Who can be referred?
Anyone aged 18 yrs and over who is registered with a GP in England and showing symptoms of gender incongruence or dysphoria can be referred into these services.
If someone has a mental health diagnosis such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia it does not mean that they cannot be seen. However, it is important that symptoms are well managed before attending any appointments. Any drug or alcohol problem will also need to be managed prior to attending an appointment with an NHS Adult Gender Service.
Who can make a referral?
Referrals to NHS Adult Gender Services can be made by an NHS GP or by any NHS healthcare professional.
Advice for referrers
For a referral from anyone other than the GP, it is advisable to contact the GP as it may be necessary to ask for medical information that needs to be included. Also, the GP plays a key role in patient care, particularly in monitoring a patient’s health and will need to be aware if a patient is being recommended to receive medication or being referred for surgery. This will ensure continuity of care and facilitates their involvement when required.
Referrals can be submitted to the National Gender Referral Support Service through one of the following routes:
- By a GP using e-RS.
- Through an online form in EMIS or SystmOne.
- Via the portal on this website.
Referring professionals must discuss the referral with the patient, provide clear and detailed information, and obtain their consent.
Clinical responsibility remains with the referrer until the patient is seen by the NHS Adult Gender Service.
Advice on completing the electronic referral form
Referrals via email can no longer be accepted or sent directly to an NHS Adult Gender Service. Referrals sent to an NHS Adult Gender Service will be declined and the referral advised using e-RS if a GP or the online electronic referral form via this website.
The electronic referral form Adult Gender Service Referral Form requests both the information required for GNRSS to manage the waiting list, and the information required by the NHS Adult Gender Services. The form requires details about different aspects of the patient’s life and referrers should provide as much information as possible in the relevant sections.
To ensure that referrals are processed efficiently and appropriately, the following will not be accepted:
- Referrals from non-NHS or third sector organisations.
- Referrals for patients outside of England or not registered with an English GP.
Please provide all patient contact details, as GNRSS will contact the patient at various points while they are on the waiting list. Patients should be advised to notify GNRSS of any changes to their contact details, legal name, address or GP practice while they are waiting to be seen. Updates can be made online via the Contact Us Form link on the Contact Us page.
Referral portal guide
Please read the electronical referral form guide before using the system.
Adult Gender Service Referral Form
Starting the referral process
To start the referral process and receive a link to complete the form, all required information must be provided. Referrers must enter their email address and a work or personal mobile number for multifactor authentication. This allows the portal to verify that the referrer is using an NHS digital email address.
NHS professionals must use an nhs.net or nhs.uk email address to submit the information. A mobile number is also required to receive a numeric authentication code. If a personal mobile number is used, it can be changed on the form before submission.
When making a referral through the portal, the following information is required:
- Referrer’s email address, so the link to complete the form can be sent
- Referrer’s mobile telephone number
- Patient’s NHS number
- Patient’s first name
- Patient’s surname
- Patient’s date of birth
Portal – please click the following link Adult Gender Service Referral Form.
Issues with the portal
If there are any issues with using the portal or the referral form, please email agem.agsreferrals@nhs.net. To help us understand what issue you are experiencing, please can you send a screenshot of the error message and detail the problem in the email.
What happens next?
Once the referral has been checked and confirmed as meeting the criteria (that the patient is aged 18 or over and registered with a GP in England), an acknowledgement letter will be sent to the patient, referrer and GP (if not the referrer). This will confirm that the referral has been added to the national waiting list for NHS Adult Gender Services.
The patient will then receive an information pack outlining the support available while they wait to be seen.
Patients will be contacted at various points whilst they are waiting to check that they still wish to be seen and, depending on where they are on the waiting list, to complete a Gender Experience Summary (GES). The purpose of a GES is to provide greater detail to the NHS Adult Gender Services about the patient, their journey and important information that will be shared for the first appointment.
When the patient is approaching the top of the waiting list, GNRSS team will contact them to confirm that the patient still wishes to be seen by an NHS Adult Gender Services, discuss their preferred clinic and explain the next steps.
GNRSS will then make the necessary referral arrangements and send the patient’s documentation to their chosen clinic.
Once the referral has been sent to the clinic, GNRSS will inform the patient by email.
When the referral is transferred to the NHS Adult Gender Clinic it is expected the patient will wait approximately 6 months for their first appointment. The NHS Adult Gender Service will contact the patient directly to arrange the appointment
Patients will be asked to complete another Gender Experience Survey approximately 2 months before the referral is sent to an NHS Adult Gender Service for any changes or updates patients would like to share for the first appointment.
Keeping fit and healthy whilst waiting
If patients are thinking about taking hormone treatment or surgery, lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, or smoking can influence physical and mental health. These factors may also impact on risks during treatment or recovery. More information can be found on the following links.
- NHS stop smoking services help you quit - NHS
- NHS England » The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme
- Overweight and obesity in adults - NHS