NHS sued by transgender male over surgery

Years ago, when I was working in an internitional company we sent someone on an assignment to an overseas country. It was a disaster from the start. Despite briefings he was careless about the local culture - and those who lived there.

During the post mortem on why this chap had been sent overseas and had been such a disaster, despit full briefings on the culture of the country. One manager commented that we could have briefed him 24/7 for a fortnight and it wouldn't have helped because he just was not listening.

I think the same thing applies. This guy had all the counselling, things like fertility etc were brought up, but he just wasn't listening. He had decided that gender assignment was the answer to his problems so he only 'listened' to those who shared his views. The others putting the problems and alternatives might just as well have been talking to the hand - and of course he doesn't remember anything they said to him.

He's given a full interview to the Daily Mail:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10953157/Man-suing-NHS-trans-surgery-regrets-bravely-waived-anonymity-share-ordeal.html

Surely the people to sue are the 'Angels' who put him onto this idea in the first place and NOT the NHS!!!
This happened about 10 years ago and he's since re-transitioned to a male. He said they didn't ask if he wanted to be a parent or if he wanted to freeze his sperm, but surely these are things that he should have thought of beforehand, too!
He obviously did not get the counselling he should have. I do feel sorry for him, but I do not think he should be suing the NHS, as it is not their fault!!!

He would have had years of counselling, therapy, assessment, and drug treatment before entering into radical surgery to remove his penis and testes; he'd have been made fully aware of the outcome and had to sign many consent forms before undergoing the operation. The fact that the result hasn't lived up to his expectations and given him the life he anticipated is hardly the fault of the NHS.

There will be many others like this in time to come; a whole generation of young people are being funnelled through gender reassignment treatment and being put on puberty blockers that will have irreversible consequences for the future. Caveat Emptor.

HowVeryDareYou

At 25, he surely must have known what he wanted, and known what to expect? I believe it is very wrong for these operations to be done on the NHS, especially when so many people are waiting for joint replacements, cancer treatments, etc.

Incidentally, Ilovecheese I don't think it's yet possible for a man transitioning to a woman to be given a uterus and ovaries.

Yes, I know that, but I wondered if he believed it was possible.

When I was in the GP's surgery distraught and suicidal over my alopecia, I was advised to 'get a wig'. I think if I'd said I wanted to be a man they would have jumped to it.

I don’t think this surgery should be available on the NHS and I hope he doesn’t succeed in his action. I do feel sorry for him and I think the current push for gender reassignment is going to cause massive problems in the near future.

I feel sorry for the suffering he is going through now, although it was totally self inflicted. This confirms that the NHS should not get involved in this kind of operation due to the potential fall-out.

What concerns me more are the 12-18 year olds who are being told they can change sex if they want. That age group are likely confused enough so this is a recipe for disaster. Large numbers of youngsters are now claiming they are transgender, so it's either female hormones in the water or mass hysteria. It looks like there will be a lot of regretful people around when these operations become more frequent. Yet another reason why the NHS should not get involved, there will be too many of them.

Just seen my predictive text error in my post

physiologically should have read psychologically

This man is now 30.

I agree with Casdon and GG13.
This type of surgery must have a huge impact mentally on anyone. Ditto gastric surgery. A friend of mine had most of her stomach surgically removed to facilitate weight loss. Even the thought of doing something that drastic scares me to death! It’s the realisation that you’ve removed something you can never have back again.

Re this man. I read yesterday he’s disappointed because now on passing urine it takes ‘ages’ and he dribbles and smells. Maybe that’s why he’s suing? I don’t know.

At first I thought it was a child then realised he was 25 however I do feel a bit sorry for him as the surgery has caused harm - he is now incontinent after urinating. These surgeries are life changing and not enough psychological prep seems done beforehand. There are many people who go back to living to whatever sex they were before. Although age wise you are an adult at 16 or 18 (depending on which part of UK), many people who have this done have had turbulent teenage years and are perhaps not best placed to decide this massive step in their early 20s.

A very physiologically damaged person, who made choices they thought correct for them.

I fear this maybe the tip of the iceberg regarding gender reassignment surgery.

At 25, he surely must have known what he wanted, and known what to expect? I believe it is very wrong for these operations to be done on the NHS, especially when so many people are waiting for joint replacements, cancer treatments, etc.

Incidentally, Ilovecheese I don't think it's yet possible for a man transitioning to a woman to be given a uterus and ovaries.

It sounds as though this poor man has serious psychological issues, which isn’t the fault of the surgeons. Some people can’t be ‘fixed’ however hard the NHS tries.

I suppose if he had been told that it was possible to change from one sex into the other he may have thought that his surgery would do just that, give him a uterus and ovaries etc. Was it ever explained to him clearly enough that that was not possible.

It was his choice. I am tired of people suing others over choices they make. People sue cigarette companies if they get cancer. No one made them smoke. Morbidly obese people complaining because they can't get weight loss surgery. I do understand that some people are obese due to things beyond their control, but mostly it's lifestyle choices.

What on earth were his expectations then? This is a tragic but good example of how important it is to ensure that anyone going for gender re assignment knows precisely what it will entail and the physical therefore life changing results.

What a load of nonsense! He chose to have the surgery only himself to blame. Surely he realised what what going to be done to his body.

twinnytwin to the extent to his current unhappiness and the irrevocable nature of the surgery, I do feel very sorry for him.

But I cannot see why he can sue the NHS. He was years going through therapy and drug treatment before the op, so sadly, the dreadful thing that has happened is a self-inflicted.

I was surprised to see that one of the things he is suing over is being left infertile. Surely that is one effect that he surely realised without even having to think about it.

No. I don’t feel sorry for him. He was 25 years old when he had the surgery. Old enough to know what he wanted. I feel sorry for the NHS who are now being sued. When people have life changing gender reassignment surgery they should pay for the surgery themselves. It should not be done on the NHS.

Absolutely feel sorry for him. Whether he should sue the NHS, I'm not so sure. I read the story in the newspaper this morning and can only feel sympathy for him - his life is in pieces now with a number of on going medical issues due to the operation.

Yes, Esspee I read that. He had a lot of treatment and help over many years before he had the surgery, which makes me feel that he had had plenty of time to think about it and reach an informed decision.

Some times I have felt that there was an inclination of psychiatrists and surgeons to railroad potential trans people into submitting to irrevocable treatment, but not in this case.