Hi everyone. I am in communication with trans led patient advocacy group Spectra London and also Good Law project. I am looking for other people that experienced abuse at the Portman Tavistock because I feel alone and crazy. You don't have to want to report it formally but I need someone to talk to.
I want to note that it's also possible to report any GP acting inappropriately via Spectra London, stuff like intimate exams, insisting you show your chest / private area, holding scripts hostage etc. They were respectful when I talked to them.
Obligatory: Clinicians read this subreddit, and sometimes search for mentions of their name.
We've had cases of people having their care significantly affected by things they say here getting back to the clinicians in question. Please be mindful of what you say.
Yes. Different clinician, same GIC.
I spoke to a lawyer who alluded to another male doctor at the GIC. Victoria Holt was also inappropriate. If you decide to report, info @ spectra-london.org.uk can be contacted.
Thank you mod : ) I moved to a different country. They can't get me!
If there were an anonymous avenue through which people could share information you might get a bigger response.
I had an interaction with a nurse that I would have preferred was handled differently but I'm not sure it went as far as abuse.
I'm sorry, I should have given this information in my main post. I was able to file a complaint with Spectra London directly here.
https://spectra-london.org.uk/contact/
I contacted the email info@ spectra-london.org.uk
Have had a load of issues with Tavistock over the year that culminated in me confronting a director about the trust lying on FOIs and that director (in my view) not so subtly threatening to withhold my care.
Told GLP about it (evidence of lying on FOIs and I think I recall mentioning being threatened) around the time they were working on their SC case about waiting times. They were arrogantly confident that they didn't need the info and fobbed me off. Also told Spectra and got fobbed off there as well, so... Good luck getting any real support.
EDIT: Also had my reports say that I wanted to stop HRT when that was absolutely not the case. Led to my prescription taking almost a year to finally get sorted. Again, no charity or org gave a shit.
I am sorry Spectra underwhelmed you. I am not employed by them or volunteering with them but I felt vaguely pacified by reporting through them* even though nothing happened. I think we ( as a group ) should find a legal firm willing to represent us, but that would have to be weighed up against the emotional strain of the process as well as safety / privacy concerns.
* edit as word was missed out by accident
Ah. I just Googled and I now see that you're referring to the former clinic for young people? Whereas I thought you were referring to the adult clinic by the same name that merged with them in 2017 (formerly known separately as Charing Cross). Also not sure how far you want to go back, as if you go back further than my experiences goes then eventually you reach a point where abuse was so widespread it's openly acknowledged, like the shit that's going down in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeBwniFDDK4
I am referring to the former clinic for young people. I am referring to the behaviour, physical, sexual, verbal, by at least 3 clinicians, not limited to genital inspection, ('to check you aren't intersex', 'to check for abnormalities') which escalated into severe sexual abuse.
The files will say 'we made sure the patient wasn't intersex so that we could give accurate endocrinological care' but in reality was sexual assault, violent digital rape etc
Charing X referrals and future access to HRT/ blockers was used as leverage in the cases I am aware of. If the patient did not comply with the inappropriate sexual questioning or genital exams their referral to adult services would be lost or withheld punitively
This is regarding patients 13-18, closed door sessions with psychologists/ endocrinologists with no parent or guardian present.
The genital exams are really f**ked up.
yea I did not like it. Clinicians I am giving you a 0 out of 5 stars guys. I also contributed to a United Nations report on trans healthcare in the UK