Saturday 31 March 2007

What ARE they teaching in UK Medical Schools These Days

From the Daily Telegraph :
A survey of more than 1,000 GPs and hospital doctors showed that 70 per cent said that the NHS should not pay for every type of operation but there was no consensus on what the NHS should fund.
...
Eighty per cent did not believe that the NHS should pay for vasectomy reversal and 84 per cent said the NHS should not pay for gender reassignment surgery.
There's disagreement on whether the whole-of-life suicide rates amongst Transsexuals is 30% or 70%, or anywhere in between. Certainly the best, most scientifically credible evidence from the Scottish Office showed 50% of TS people had self-harmed before age 25, though the figures on successful suicide attempts were less precise. People who successfully suicide don't usually reply to surveys, and often don't leave any indication why they suicide.

It's also not in contention that gender reassignment has a greater than 97% rate of making the patient feel better. Very few treatments have that degree of success.

The cost of psychiatric treatment to try to keep these people alive over 10 years greatly exceeds the cost of surgery, so it's not as if any money would be saved.

One can only assume that either the Medical Schools are clueless about Transsexuality, or there is moral condemnation of such a degree that they think we should have treatment deliberately withheld, so we die. Unlike drug addicts, for example: only 44% of doctors thought that their treatment shouldn't be free.

Never attribute to Malice what is adequately explained by Stupidity - or its partner, Ignorance.

3 comments:

karinangelika said...

We are told that the suicide rate in Western Australia for people born with transsexualism is 90%, and that the national suicide rate is over 50%. Apparently, also, the global suicide rate for all people with known intersex conditions is over 30%. Of course I have not seen actual survey results stating this, but I am inclined to believe the 90% figure, given how we are so brutalized in the State of Excitement.

karinangelika said...

By the way, at least one NHS employee, a nurse, has never received treatment of any kind from the NHS for being born with transsexualism and apparently never wants it either. I have heard many horror stories from other British women about the NHS in that regard. When I was in Chon Buri so was that nurse, a Harley Street Psychiatrist and a British GP, none of whom have sought (mis)treatment from the NHS.

Zoe Brain said...

There were a lot of girls from the UK at Chonburi when I was there too. I too have heard what happens at Charing Cross.
One of the gals there - a serving member in the British Army - recently reported there for a post-op check. Her MO (Medical Officer) knew nothing about the situation, and thought these were the experts in the area, nothing too good for her!
Well, the examining surgeon was so rough she ended up split and bleeding. Yes, a formal complaint is being laid.
In the UK, a survey by PFC (Press For Change) stated that only 20% of TS people received sympathy and encouragement from their GP : and 6% were refused treatment outright.
The situation in Australia is probably not as good as that: but then, we have a choice of doctors, so we can see those who are helpful.