Speaking before the Oireachtas Health Committee, Chief Executive Officer of Sexual Health Centre Cork, Fiona Finn, called for a new approach to trans healthcare in Ireland based on a decentralised model and informed consent.
The Oireachtas Health Committee is tasked with scrutinising the work of the Department of Health and its agencies and examining health policy in order to plan for services and propose changes.
On Wednesday, May 6, several healthcare experts appeared before the committee, including Adam Shanley from Trinity College Dublin, Fiona Finn, Chief Executive Officer of Sexual Health Centre Cork, Muire O’Farrell of Sexual Health Centre Cork and Pádraig Burke, Communications Director of Gay Health Network.
Finn took the opportunity to speak about the state of trans healthcare in Ireland, which remains “significantly underdeveloped and overly centralised”. According to a 2022 report published by Transgender Europe (TGEU), Ireland has the worst system for trans healthcare in Europe, with waiting lists exceeding 10 years.
“We are clearly failing our trans community,” Finn stated. “Many must seek care abroad, or outside formal pathways, increasing inequality. At present, general practitioners are not adequately supported to provide gender-affirming care.”
For years, activists in Ireland have been calling for a reform of this model of care, advocating for a system that is based on informed consent, allowing trans people to access care through general practitioners rather than being funnelled into segregated clinics such as the National Gender Service (NGS).
As the Chief Executive Officer of Sexual Health Centre Cork, Finn gave recommendations on how to improve Ireland’s approach to trans healthcare. “Enable trained GPs and clinics to initiate and monitor hormone therapy to improve access, reduce waiting times, and support a more equitable system,” Finn said.
The healthcare expert also recommended moving to an informed-consent, patient-centred model of care, which should be informed by the real lived experiences and needs of the people these policies aim to serve.
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