Would this not just be a result of the 'internal market' that was foisted on the NHS by the reforms of the Cameron govt, though? I.e., all capacity building, for all forms of NHS treatment, would have had an eye on assessing any potential for treating out-of-area patients for a fee.
I mean, of course it is concerning in this context because of the fact that the treatments on offer were damaging and unevidenced. But if it had simply been stroke services, or whatever, the same income-generating potentials may have been discussed as a matter of course.
In other words, I don't think the story amounts to any sort of reason for believing that 'gender affirming' treatments were being pushed for money, as in the US.