GenderGP update

[MiffyTyfied]

Was wondering if anyone knows about Helen Webberley & GenderGP, her appeal against suspension

A question has also been asked
As to whether or not her offshore firm is still being allowed to supply blockers given the complaint about the pharmacy who were filling out the prescriptions.

And has there has been any movement regarding regulatory involvement?

[MiffyTyfied]

Should've put a ? after the subject title. Sorry!

[Signalbox]

The suspension is an interim suspension which will likely be in place until her substantive hearing. The suspension is reviewed every 6 months (I think) and in some cases adjustments can be made but this hasn’t happened in her case. I’m surprised her case hasn’t been heard yet it’s been dragging on for years. I expect Covid slowed stuff up considerably.

[OhHolyJesus]

I have a vague memory of a hearing or a review of the suspension being due this Summer - June/July.

[hoodathunkit]

Gender GP have been promoted uncritically by various news sources in the last month.

The "news" articles read like GenderGP advert. Bizarrely none of these articles report on safegurading concerns re GenderGP's illegal and unethical practices,. The focus of the articles is to promote and advertise GenderGP riding to the rescue like the cavalry. Or something.

some examples;

Last year, Miss Williams reached out to the NHS about starting her transitioning process, however, she has remained on the hospital waiting list for more than a year.

She said: “Understandably, this long wait is very stressful and, despite doing what I can to attempt to alleviate the dysphoria, I’m experiencing mental racing as well.

“I’ve been told I could be on the list for around three to four years.

“So I set up a fundraiser to help me progress with private care instead, through GenderGP, which is a lot quicker process.”

Miss Williams has launched a fundraising page to help pay for private hormone therapy to begin her physical transition.

She said: “This goal of £500 should enable me to make the necessary arrangements so that I can go from where I am now to starting hormone blockers, anti-androgens, and oestrogen as the consultations see fit.

www.nwemail.co.uk/news/19308598.ulverston-transgender-student-ellie-williams-calls-public-help-transition/


She said: “I am now waiting to get some information from a UK consultant regarding whether or not I can get further treatment to become a fully functional female. The waiting list at the NHS clinic is still stretching into years, but with support from Gender GP, I know life can be easier for those who can’t wait.

“I have been fortunate that I have a private pension from my forces service so have been able to pay for the treatment.

“I would like to say that throughout my transition I have been supported by some amazing people, including Transitions in Torquay, Proud to Be in Totnes, Safe Haven in Cornwall, as well as Gender GP.”

www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/desperate-lengths-transgender-people-going-5390563



Worried that this means that she will be taken off the Chalmers waiting list before getting an appointment she has turned to fundraising in a bid to pay for the process privately.

Rachel added: "I looked online at an online service called Gender GP.

"Considering they are private healthcare they are quite affordable.

"I started the fundraiser because if I wanted any hope of being able to afford it on a consistent basis, I would need more help than just my part-time retail job.

"Because even the sign-up fee is upwards of £200 and once you've subscribed it's a fee of £30 pounds per month then £60 per consultation and then above that the cost of any prescription.

"I would need estrogen and anti-androgens, to promote feminine growth and minimise masculine growth.

www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-transgender-student-tells-crisis-20605612

Just a quick share in case anyone is interested

[ArabellaScott]

Interesting, hooda.

Both Devon Live and Edinburgh Live are owned by 'Reach plc'.

So these are perhaps 'advertorial' type of articles? I wonder if Gender GP advertises with Reach PLC?

NWemail seems to be a different org/company, owned by NewsQuest media group ltd.

'Newsquest’s acquisitions have included CN Group, NWN Media, Isle of Wight County Press, Romanes Media Group, SMG plc, Newscom plc, Westminster Press, Contact-a-car, Kinsman Reeds Ltd, Review Group, Horley Publishing, Dimbleby Newspaper Group, Surrey & Sussex Publishing, Exchange & Mart, and Auto Exchange.'

[ArabellaScott]

'Newsquest:

Our 22 daily titles include The Herald (Glasgow), The Northern Echo (Darlington), Telegraph & Argus (Bradford), Southern Daily Echo (Southampton), The Argus (Brighton), The Press (York), Oxford Mail and South Wales Argus (Newport). Our weekly publications include The Hereford Times, Watford Observer, Falmouth Packet and the Berrow’s Worcester Journal, the oldest continuously published newspaper in the world.
120+

Local News Brands
39m

Digital Users Per Month
5.1m

Print Readers Per Week
'

[hoodathunkit]

Interesting ArabellaScott

The articles are like advertorials and either no due diligence has been conducted regarding GenderGP or the jounralists responsible know about the controversy and safeguarding concerns re GenderGP and simply do not care.

The overall theme seems to be that people can crowdfund to get money to pay GenderGP for private hormone meds, thus bypassing the scant safeguarding protocols in the NHS.

Not exactly quality journalism is it?

[ArabellaScott]

Well, I'd like to know how these stories have been found. There's sometimes a bit of a relationship between buying advertising and getting editorial, because of course there are rules about labelling ads as ads.

I'm not suggesting these stories are ads, of course, just asking the questions.

[ArabellaScott]

I haven't time to look into all this properly right now, but I expect the relevant bits are in here. somewhere: www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/02.html

[ArabellaScott]

www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/04.html


4.5

Marketing communications, especially those addressed to or depicting a child, must not condone or encourage an unsafe practice (see Section 5: Children).


I would argue promoting the bypassing of NHS safeguarding procedures is definitely 'unsafe'

[mammajustkilledagnat]

Interesting. Oh the irony

twitter.com/threadreaderapp/status/1485953614275354624

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

[quote mammajustkilledagnat]Interesting. Oh the irony

twitter.com/threadreaderapp/status/1485953614275354624[/quote]
And how very unsurprising...

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

A group of us inside the company decided to write to Helen. We asked for no action to be taken against the person they were pinning this on, a living wage, holiday pay, sick pay, a support group for trans colleagues and for a senior position to be created for a trans person. 7/13

One of the questions, which I'll quote in full was "Some of the requests in the letter appear to be asking for different terms and conditions for our trans team members. How does that sit, from your perspective, with the notion of equality with your cisgender colleagues?" 10/13

[PearPickingPorky]

All such reasonable, professional people in such a well-run organisation.

[Theeyeballsinthesky]

Hahahaha sorry but good lord they really are the centre of their own universe aren't they

Meeeeeeeeeeeee!! Everything I want should be given to meeeeeeeee!

[IndigoToo]

I wonder what Gender GP defines a “fully functional female” as….

[LilithOfEden]

I can hear tiny violins. Really teeny, tiny ones.

[Lovelyricepudding]

Fancy that!

[Hoardasurass]

And already all tweets except for the 1st have been deleted

[Alekto]

Screenshots abound

twitter.com/thespiralquirk/status/1485952100442021889?s=21

[PearPickingPorky]

@IndigoToo

I wonder what Gender GP defines a “fully functional female” as….

A hole that can be penetrated by a penis.

That's all we are.

[ScreamingMeMe]

@Hoardasurass

And already all tweets except for the 1st have been deleted

I can still see all of them.

Gosh, it's almost like GenderGP is a cynical money-making scheme that doesn't really care about the welfare of trans people.

[bishophaha]

The threadreader link still has them all, I think?


Thread Reader

287 views
Kat Bristow Profile picture
Kat Bristow
Twitter logo
11h • 13 tweets • 3 min read
As people have worked out, I no longer work for GenderGP. This is hard as they provide vital care, but their working conditions were a large part of why I spent most of last year in a nervous breakdown. So, I've decided the harm they've done to me shouldn't be excused. 1/13
First of all, GenderGP considers everyone who works for them as contractors. I was paid £9 a hour, with no holiday pay, no sick pay or any other benefits. I was told this what everyone willing agreed to keep costs low as possible, this is popular lie from management. 2/13
The catalyst for my nervous breakdown was a hit piece by the Daily Mail in February 2021 about being elected co-chair of Green Party women. I thought I would find support at GenderGP, but my political participation just became an greater issue for them as time went on. 3/13
I was made to feel bad anytime GenderGP was mentioned in a transphobic article about me, and made to feel like it was my fault that these things are being published. Around Feb 2021, I also started to need time off for my mental health, but couldn't as it would be unpaid. 4/13
From there, I started struggling to meet my contracted hours due to the nervous breakdown. I was pulled into some meetings for the first few months of this happening, including one where I was told maybe I shouldn't have a job right now, which caused more mental stress. 5/13
This goes on until September when the following linked tweet gets posted. The company reaction was to try to find who was the source for this. A few weeks went by and they seemed to pin it on someone who internally complained about working conditions. 6/13
A group of us inside the company decided to write to Helen. We asked for no action to be taken against the person they were pinning this on, a living wage, holiday pay, sick pay, a support group for trans colleagues and for a senior position to be created for a trans person. 7/13
Most of GenderGP's senior management are cis and are friends or family of one another. I felt troubled for a long time about the nepotism that I felt was happening.
The letter was not well received by management, but no further action was taken against our colleague at least 8/13
Management then started what I felt was a very hostile round of questions to each of us separately, when we asked for a group meeting in the letter. I felt like a lot of these questions missed the point of the concerns that we raised and were there to intimate me. 9/13
One of the questions, which I'll quote in full was "Some of the requests in the letter appear to be asking for different terms and conditions for our trans team members. How does that sit, from your perspective, with the notion of equality with your cisgender colleagues?" 10/13
About a week after this, I was pulled into another meeting about my hours and a performance improvement plan was put in place for the first time. Two weeks later I was pulled into a final meeting after still not being able to do enough hours and was essentially terminated. 11/13
I'm under no illusion why my hours suddenly became a bigger issue for them than before, but I had to speak up for what I thought was right, even if it led to me being unemployed, which it seems like it did. I guess I'm still trying to do what is right. 12/13
I know I'm likely to lose some friends, and not everyone will agree with me posting this. In short, I feel like because I wanted to help people, which GenderGP definitely does for its patients, I was taken advantage of for my labour at the expense of my own mental health. 13/13

[highame]

Looks like Kat is limbering up to explain why, with such abominable treatment, she isn't taking the case to an employment tribunal. Maybe sweetening everyone up for a crowd funder. Interesting though

[StillNotAGirl]

We only have one side here but that sounds like poor management and possible discrimination against the trans employees. Which is obviously wrong.

I hope Ind Bristow sues them and gets lots of publicity for that shitshow