Gender Service at Sandyford
Transgender, non-binary and other gender diverse patients may access any service at Sandyford for issues unrelated to their gender identity.
The Gender Service at Sandyford is for those who are uncomfortable or uncertain about their gender identity, and adult transgender and non-binary people who are considering feminising or masculinising treatment.
Oestrogel Product Recall 20th March 2024
The manufacturer of Oestrogel™ (Besins Ltd) have advised of a defect of the pump system in 2 of their batches. As such these products with the following batch number and expiry date are being recalled:
- 74800, expiry date: 31/07/2026
- 74830, expiry date: 31/08/2026.
There is no concern regarding the gel within the device itself, and the manufacturer estimates only around 11% of products were affected. Therefore, if you have not had any issues with administering your gel, there is no reason to return the product.
If your oestrogel pump is affected, you should return this to a pharmacy to be disposed of, and your GP should provide you with a new prescription to receive a replacement.
If you have any questions, please contact your GP/community pharmacy in the first instance.
Location Information
We will only accept patients living within the following health boards:
- Greater Glasgow & Clyde
- Ayrshire & Arran
- Forth Valley
- Lanarkshire
- Tayside
- Western Isles
- Dumfries and Galloway
Please note that there are other providers in Lothian, Grampian, Highland and Tayside which may be more suitable for your location. For more information and contact details for these clinics, please click here.
For those wishing to Contact The Gender Service
If your query is regarding a patient currently being seen by our service, it will be passed to the relevant clinician. However, our service is currently experiencing significant pressures, so a response may take up to 2 weeks.
If your query is regarding a person who is not currently being seen in the service, then sorry we will not be able to respond.
If your query is regarding a new referral or a patient on the waiting list, please note that due to the pressures within the service, patients are currently experiencing significant waits.
We are working hard to address the challenges within our service, and we are moving as quickly as we can to recruit new staff, however we acknowledge and apologise for the stress and anxiety this might cause for any person or family/friend of a person waiting to access our service.
If you are concerned about your mental health or need further support, please see the information below.
Referral Information
We accept self-referrals and referrals from other service providers (e.g. your GP or a key support worker).
Waiting list update
We are currently allocating appointments to those referred during the following periods:
Adult Gender Service Waiting list: November 2018
Young Person Gender Service Waiting list: June 2019
More information on waiting lists and our processes can be found on each service's respective page.
Useful links for further information and support
Mental Health Support
We wish to assure you that our small dedicated team are doing everything they can to continue to support people and the service pressures are being reviewed by the health board and nationally.
We understand that some people waiting for our service may be struggling with their mental health.
If you think you are at risk of seriously harming yourself, please speak to your GP who can help you get the right sort of support.
For more support you can contact Samaritans by phoning 116 123 any time of day, any day of the year, or online.
Breathing Space is another great resource that offers free, confidential phone services for anyone in Scotland experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety. You can phone on 0800 83 85 87 from 6pm-2am on weekdays, or 24 hours at the weekends.
For young people, Childline offers support via the phone on 0800 1111 or online.