The Welsh Gender Service has paused scheduled and caller referrals for gender-affirming surgeries, aft the wellness committee successful complaint reported "concerns" astir the fig of referrals being made.
Data from 2025-26 indicated "significantly higher rates of referral for sex affirming surgery... compared with English sex services", said Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee has requested an autarkic objective reappraisal aft identifying "matters" done regular "assurance processes".
The wellness committee said patients should inactive be scheduled appointments and different parts of the work would proceed to operate, including hormone therapy support.
The Welsh Gender Service is an NHS sex individuality session established successful 2019 which provides specializer attraction and enactment for adults successful Wales. The work refers patients to England for surgery.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB), which runs the service, said it was asked to "immediately intermission referrals from the Welsh Gender Service for sex affirming country and existing scheduled surgeries portion further autarkic objective reappraisal enactment is carried out".
"Concerns person arisen from referral information from 2025-26 indicating importantly higher rates of referral for sex affirming country from the Welsh Gender Service compared with English sex services," the wellness board said successful a statement, external.
"In addition, concerns were raised regarding aspects of referral and appraisal processes."
As a consequence, it said:
- New referrals for sex affirming country person been paused
- Surgical assessments and scheduled country person been paused
- An autarkic objective reappraisal volition beryllium undertaken to supply assurance astir assessment, referral and governance arrangements
The wellness committee said it understood that the announcement "may beryllium concerning for patients, their families, unit and the wider community".
It said different parts of the work continued to operate, including hormone therapy support, intelligence enactment and code and connection therapy.
The wellness committee said patients who person scheduled appointments with the Welsh Gender Service should proceed to be for discussions astir adjacent steps and intelligence support.
The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC), which commissions nationalist specializer services, said its "processes are designed to guarantee due scrutiny and oversight wherever further treatment oregon probe is required".
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