FOI Request: 0217FOI1920

20th February 2020

Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Request for Information

We are pleased to respond to your request for information and our response is set out below: 

Request / Response

[redacted] is an association of healthcare professionals founded for the purpose of promoting clinical research and exchange knowledge of gender dysphoria and transgender health.

[redacted] is aware of the judicial review brought by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in August 2018 which challenged NHD England’s failure to offer gamete storage to transgender patients as a general policy, rather than leaving this as a matter for individual CCG’s to decide. [redacted] understands, from media reports, that this claim settled, shortly before the court hearing on 28^th March 2019, on the basis that NHS England would revise its guidance on this issue. Subsequent media reports indicated that part of the basis for settlement was NHS England’s agreement to issue guidelines to all CCGs to the effect that “strong justification” needs to be shown by any CCG refusing to offer fertility preservation to transgender patients; and that failure to provide this may be challenged in court (“Transgender fertility rules updated by NHS”, The Guardian, 31^st march 2019). The EHRC made media comments welcoming this development.

[redacted] is unaware of what if any guidance on the issue has been drawn up by NHS England.

However, given that individual CCG’s are responsible for clinical commissioning within their area, [redacted] kindly requests that NHS Sheffield CCG confirm:

1. Whether NHS Sheffield CCH has drawn up its own guidance on these issues; and is so, provide a copy to BAGIS and to confirm whether it has been published;

Please see Cryopreservation Policy August 2019 enclosed.

2. In any event, what criteria are applied by NHS Sheffield CCG in deciding where to fund gamete storage facilities for transgender patients generally;

Please see Cryopreservation Policy August 2019 enclosed.

3. How many request for gamete storage were made by transgender patients shortly before gender conversion treatment in:

1. 2018, per calendar month; and

2. 2019, per calendar month?

Please refer to the tables below.

4. For each month which data is provided in response to question 3,

1.How many requests were granted?

2. How many were refused?

3. How many remaining pending?

Please refer to the tables below.

2018 Per month	Approved	Declined	Pending/ Closed
Feb-18	1		1
Mar-18		1
Sep-18	1
Oct-18	1

 

2019 Per month	Approved	Declined	Pending/ Closed
Jan-19			1
Feb-19	1
Mar-19	1
Apr-19	1	1
Jul-19		1
Aug-19	1	1
Dec-19	1		1