Recommendation 16

HM Government Not Addressed

49. NHSEI is committed to the commissioning of a new service model for adults in the future, building clinical capacity in primary care and sexual health services, to reduce waiting times. DHSC and NHSEI welcome the positive feedback and impact the pilot clinics are having for patients during the current evaluation phase. The pilot clinics have been established to understand and evidence whether these services can be delivered in new ways that produce improved outcomes for patients. It is important that they are evaluated so that assurance can be given to patients and clinicians – particularly GPs and sexual health clinicians who may be interested in specialising in this area of medicine – that the new models are clinically safe and effective. All pilots are being evaluated by an independent third party (Rocket Science, a consultancy) and this will inform the development of a new service specification against which new services can be commissioned on a permanent basis. NHSEI Regional teams, working as part of Integrated Care Systems, will use the findings to consider how to adopt them in their regions, tailored to local needs and circumstances. The process for awarding any permanent contracts would have to follow procurement regulations. NHSEI is committed to ensuring that any grounds made in reducing waiting times through the pilots are not lost in the transition to commissioning permanent new service models. 50. Through the establishment of the new clinics, we have adopted a community-based approach to address any geographic disparities in access to clinics. The NHS will take the learning from these pilot sites to consider how to roll them out regionally. This is already happening in some parts of the country, such as in South West England where NHSEI is working with local stakeholders to move adult gender services from the established Gender Dysphoria Clinic in Exeter to a new provider model by 2023 using the pilot models as a template for change. Regarding the provision of mental health services, the government remains committed to the aims of the NHS Long Term Plan, investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services by 2023/24. This extra funding will enable an extra 2 million people to be treated by NHS mental health services by 2023/24. 51. The Government Equalities Office, at both Ministerial and at official level, continues to work closely with a number of other Government Departments to improve the lives of LGBT people. This includes in relation to the work of the Department of Health and Social Care, and that of the National Advisor on LGBT Health, to improve the treatment of trans people and reduce waiting times.