Private gender healthcare provider Gender Plus is set to open a new clinic in Cork, expanding their services beyond Dublin for the first time.

Founded by Drogheda-born clinical psychologist Dr Aidan Kelly, Gender Plus is a private gender healthcare service that operates in the UK and Ireland. Its medical arm, Gender Plus Hormone Clinic, was established in 2023, with one location in Dublin.

The new Cork clinic aims to address barriers that trans people living outside of Dublin face by providing a service beyond the Irish capital where people will be able to access private gender-affirming healthcare.

At the beginning, the Cork clinic will run quarterly and will initially serve the trans-masculine community. It will be led by service director and nurse consultant Paul Carruthers. Bookings are already open, with the first appointments taking place from September 29.

Speaking about the new clinic in Cork, Dr Kelly said: “While our expansion on its own won’t close the access gap that trans people in Ireland face, it’s a genuine step toward care that doesn’t require someone to travel to Dublin, just to be seen.

“There may be scope, over time, to bring more of our services – including psychosocial support – to Cork as well. For now, our focus is on getting this first clinic right for the community it’s meant to serve.”

Dr Kelly began engaging with the trans community in Ireland in 2016, while he was working at the Tavistock Gender Identity Clinic in London. He began travelling to Ireland to run a child and adolescent gender identity clinic out of Crumlin Children’s Hospital, the only available option at that time. Now, Dr Kelly also sits on the HSE Gender Programme Working Group, which will contribute to developing a new national model of care.

Director of Gender Plus Hormone Clinic Paul Carruthers also commented on the expansion of services to Cork, saying: “Since the service opened, we have experienced significant growth in both our hormone and psychosocial teams, which is a clear indicator of just how much need there is for accessible, timely, compassionate care.

“As a service this is exactly what we will continue to prioritise and deliver in our work with this patient cohort.”

To find out more about Gender Plus, visit their website here.