The charity organisations LGBT Foundation and Gendered Intelligence have launched a new initiative called Waiting Well, set up to support trans and non-binary people who are waiting for NHS gender identity healthcare. The programme starts as a South West pilot and is designed to reduce the harm that can arise during long delays by offering tailored help while people await clinical appointments. The move responds to pressure on services and a growing number of people seeking care: around 42,000 people in England and Wales are currently on waiting lists for gender identity services, underscoring the scale of the challenge.
Why a specialised waiting list service matters
Waiting for healthcare can be stressful for anyone, but the impact is often intensified for those seeking gender identity support. NHS gender identity healthcare involves assessments and treatment pathways that may be unfamiliar and emotionally charged, and long waits can cause anxiety, isolation and deteriorating mental health. Waiting list support aims to mitigate these harms by providing information, peer connection and practical resources during the interim period. Rather than replacing clinical care, these services are intended to complement it, offering non-clinical support to help people navigate bureaucracy and maintain wellbeing while they wait.
What Waiting Well offers in the pilot
The pilot is structured to deliver a combination of peer-led and professional support, with an emphasis on accessibility and lived-experience perspectives. Core elements include clear information about pathways through NHS gender identity healthcare, opportunities for peer contact with people who have been through similar journeys, and signposting to mental health and community resources. The service name, Waiting Well, reflects its practical goal: to help people use the waiting period in ways that protect their wellbeing. The pilot will also collect feedback to inform service design and measure how effectively it eases the waiting experience.
How the service connects people
One central feature is facilitated peer support, where people on the lists can speak with trained volunteers who have relevant lived experience. This offers emotional validation and practical tips for dealing with common obstacles. In addition, the pilot provides guidance on administrative processes such as appointment preparation and understanding referral pathways, helping people feel less overwhelmed by the system. By combining peer connection with reliable information, the programme aims to reduce isolation and improve capacity for self-advocacy while clinical care is pending.
Pilot scope and ambitions to scale
Starting in the South West allows the teams to refine operating processes and gather evidence about impact before wider rollout. The organisations involved have stated that a national expansion is the goal: the South West pilot will act as a proof of concept, supplying learning on demand patterns, effective delivery models and resource needs. Establishing a replicable service model is important because the demand for gender identity services is national in scope and waiting times vary across regions. The project intends to use pilot data to make the case for funding and integration with local health systems to support a national offer.
Next steps and evaluation
During the pilot phase, the partners will monitor user feedback, uptake, and qualitative outcomes such as reported changes in wellbeing and feelings of support. That evidence will shape service improvements and clarify what is required to operate at scale. Both LGBT Foundation and Gendered Intelligence have experience in delivering community and peer-led services, which they will combine to build an approach that is both person-centred and system-aware. The published launch information notes the initiative as a response to long waits and highlights the intention to expand if the pilot demonstrates clear benefits.
Published 23/04/2026 17:07