Thousands of children still awaiting first appointment for gender care

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By Aine Fox and Ian Jones, PA Media

The national waiting list for children’s gender care in England and Wales rose after the opening of two new specialist hubs, with more than 5,700 under-18s waiting an average of 100 weeks for a first appointment.

The two services, led by London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, opened in April following the closure of the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.