Announcements
Published: 23 April 2026 by Matthew Belfield
LGBT Foundation and Gendered Intelligence have launched Waiting Well, a new National Trans Waiting List Support Service for trans and non-binary people waiting for NHS gender identity healthcare.
Around 42,000 people in England and Wales are currently waiting for their first NHS Gender Identity Clinic appointment, with average waits of around five years, around 14 times longer than the maximum referral‑to‑treatment wait time set out in the NHS Constitution. Evidence shows that 71% of people on NHS waiting lists say their health worsened while waiting. These delays highlight a critical need for change across the healthcare system. No one should have to wait up to ten years for life‑saving care, yet for many trans people, long waits remain the reality.
Waiting Well has been created to improve how people experience that wait. The service is built on the belief that waiting for vital healthcare should be treated with dignity, respect and compassion, helping people feel connected, informed and supported rather than isolated.
Launching as a pilot programme, Waiting Well reflects both the urgency of need now and a longer-term ambition for national rollout until trans healthcare access consistently meets the 18‑week standard set out in the NHS Constitution for referral to first treatment.
The service offer is designed to support wellbeing while trans and non-binary people wait. It includes peer support groups for people at different stages of their journey, alongside sessions such as gender‑affirming voice workshops and webinars to help people understand and prepare for gender identity healthcare.
Shaped for and by trans and non-binary people, and developed with healthcare professionals, Waiting Well brings together LGBT Foundation’s 50 years of LGBTQ+ health expertise with Gendered Intelligence’s trans‑led experience of providing trans-led, community-driven wellbeing services.
“We’re proud to be bringing this pilot to life at a moment when long waiting times have become a reality for so many trans and non‑binary people. While pressures on a free national health service are real, waiting for care should never undermine dignity or wellbeing. Too often, conversations about trans lives happen without trans people themselves. That’s why working with Gendered Intelligence is so important – ensuring this service is shaped by lived experience and setting out a more compassionate model for waiting list care.” – Alex Matheson (she/her), Director of Inclusion at LGBT Foundation.
We are really excited to be launching Waiting Well in the South West, which will demystify the gender clinic process and support people to build community and solidarity. We know that not only do people in the South West have the longest wait for their first appointment, but that many people are also really isolated and without connection to the trans community. A service that is run by trans and non-binary people is vital for helping people know they are not alone.” – Matty Herring, (they/them), Senior Adult Wellbeing Practitioner for Gendered Intelligence.
Who can access Waiting Well?
The pilot programme is currently open to people who:
How to access the service
People can self‑refer online at www.lgbt.foundation/waiting-well
or contact Gendered Intelligence’s dedicated Waiting Well phone line for information and support.
Phone: 0330 355 9678
Opening times are Tuesday: 10.00am–1.30pm and Thursday: 3.00pm–6.30pm
For more information, visit www.lgbt.foundation/waiting-well and genderedintelligence.co.uk/services/120-waiting-well
