Hey! Do you know anyone who has gone through tavistoch guys in crumlin? You know the guys who come over every three months! I was just wondering what the waiting process is and what happens after the first appointment etc. I'm 16 but I turn 17 in two months So I can go on t But do they prescribe t and if so after how many appointments?
I’ve actually only recently gone to my first appointment with Tavistock in Crumlin, and I can assure you that they’re lovely lovely people! However, to tackle your questions:
I’m assuming you don’t know this for the sake of sureness, but to see the Tavistock guys, you need a letter of referral*. This can come from a therapist, psychologist, or someone similar to those professions. Personally, I went through CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service [part of the HSE])**. However, since CAMHS services are often understaffed, waiting lists can be quite long. I’d recommend calling them over and over until they give you an appointment, but this may not work. You can always go private, and I’m certain that you should be okay along that route (see TENI’s website for people in the private side of things). After you get your letter, it could be a while before you get an appointment. I think I was waiting for around 9 months before I got an appointment, though whether or not it takes more or less time on average, I don’t personally know.
*I’d recommend talking to someone that knows more about the process of getting there than me. I’d say email or call the people at TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland), as that’s where my mam found out how to go about it.
**To access CAMHS services you need a referral from your GP.
2) What Happens After the First Appointment?
The answer is effectively this; you get another appointment. Now, don’t let this phase you too much. My mam told me that she needed to get coverage for treatment abroad, and my next appointment will actually be in the UK, around a month after my first appointment. This will almost certainly drastically reduce the time you spend waiting for hormones, as you won’t need to wait for three months at a time. However, if you can’t get coverage for treatment abroad I’m pretty sure you could just pay out of pocket should you be able,
3) Do Tavistock & Portman Prescribe Hormones?
I’m actually not quite sure. When you go onto the website for the GIDS team with Tavistock & Portman, it does say that there are endocrinologists in their team*. I’d imagine you may know what an endocrinologist does, but they’re the person that will take a blood sample from you, and prescribe a dosage of testosterone that would be right for you. However, I’m not sure if they provide this service in Ireland, or if the Endocrinology team in Crumlin do.
*(click “Physical Interventions)
4) How Many Appointments?
The psychologist I talked to at my appointment said that it could take around five appointments, sometimes more, sometimes less. She said that it depended upon how long it took for them to gather enough information and things to get a sense of who you are and such, and to ultimately make a decision on the diagnosis needed to be prescribed hormones in this country.
I hope this has been helpful to yourself and any others that need this sort of information! If you want to clarify anything, or have more questions in the future, don’t hesitate to send us another ask!
