Highland gender clinic has shortest waiting time for first appointments in the UK – with some clinics stretching into decades and centuries
The Highland Gender Identity Clinic has the shortest waiting time for a first appointment in the UK, new data has revealed.
Freedom of information requests submitted by QueerAF and What The Trans to every single gender clinic in the UK unveiled a shocking level of inactivity around gender-affirming care.
The data shows that as of March 31 this year, over 48,000 adults were waiting for a first appointment at a gender clinic across the UK.
That number has likely passed 50,000 in the intermittent six months, and marks around a quarter of people who identify as trans based on the most recent census data available.
Naturally, some clinics fare better than others in terms of servicing their patients.
Past data showed that Highland were already keeping up with the rate of demand better than their Scottish counterparts,, with a waiting list of around two and a half years in November 2023.
Now, they have managed to whittle down their waiting list to an average wait of just three months between referral and a first appointment.
The gender clinic in NHS Lothian was also among the best individual clinics in the UK, with a waiting time of just over a year at 13 months.
Based in Aberdeen, the NHS Grampian clinic was worse, having an average waiting time of five years and one month – still significantly shorter than the next one on the list, which is Sheffield at nine years and 11 months.
Compare that to the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow, which only issued 18 first appointments last year due to staffing issues, with less than a single full time equivalent member of staff.
In fact, in Glasgow patients referred in October 2018 were being offered appointments in November 2023. As of July 2025, the clinic had only just moved on to patients who were referred in November 2018.
With the rate of people being added to the waiting list, the estimated waiting time for someone being added to the waiting list now is 223 years and 11 months – or almost quadruple the life expectancy in the UK.
Speaking on the situation across Scotland, a Highland Pride spokesperson commented: "We believe individuals should have the right to explore and determine their gender identity, and to have free access to the gender affirming care and support they need.
“We recognise that there are many factors that have led to these unacceptable waiting times in Scotland, and we expect our health care providers and government representatives to do more to ensure these services are available to those who need them as quickly as they are requested.
“We will use the platform we have to communicate our expectations, and stand by members of the trans community."