XVI Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association Symposium
17 - 21 August 1999, London

Reflections on "Transsexualism and Sex Reassignment" 1969 -1999

Workshops at the Gender Identity Clinic, Charing Cross Hospital

Eyre, Jane, Clinic Manager, Gender Identity Clinic, Charing Cross Hospital, London

Miles, Clare, Department of Psychology, City University, London

The Gender Identity Clinic at Charing Cross Hospital has become more aware that it needs to become more client focused. In 1998 it made contact with the transsexual community and support groups to discuss issues relating to the clinic’s treatment of patients. The clinic’s management now meet with these groups on a regular basis to facilitate communication and feedback concerning the clinic, its impact upon the transsexual community and what steps can be taken to improve its facility to the community it provides for.

As a result of these meetings a series of workshops at the clinic were set up on a six-month trial period. We report on how the workshops were set up, their content and the feedback from the patients who attended. We discuss what the clinic is doing to implement these changes and become ‘user friendly’.