TransClinicIndex exists to improve public understanding of waiting times for adult NHS gender identity services. Official reporting typically states only the referral month and year of patients currently being offered first appointments. While accurate, this approach provides limited insight into the scale, movement, or trajectory of waiting lists.
Our methodology aims to provide clearer, more actionable estimates by combining publicly reported information with data obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
Each data point displayed on TransClinicIndex is accompanied by a source reference and publication date wherever possible.
Depending on availability, we collect the following metrics at monthly resolution:
Not all clinics publish or hold all metrics. Missing or insufficient data is shown as unavailable rather than inferred.
The referral lag is calculated as the number of months between:
This indicates how far back the clinic is currently reaching in its waiting list, and provides a consistent snapshot of the minimum time patients have already waited before being seen.
Referral lag reflects historical progress, not an expected wait for new referrals.
Where clinics publish or disclose a total waiting list size, this value is recorded directly. Where no such figure is provided, TransClinicIndex does not attempt to infer or estimate the total list size.
This conservative approach avoids overstating precision and ensures that all reported figures are traceable to published or disclosed data.
Where monthly referral and appointment data is available, we calculate a minimum net queue change:
net queue change (per month) = referrals_received − first_assessments_offered
This represents the minimum observable net change in the waiting list for that month. It does not account for internal transfers, pauses, or changes in clinical pathway.
Where both a total waiting list size and sufficient appointment activity data are available, an implied clearance time is calculated.
This represents an illustrative estimate of how long it would take to clear the current waiting list if no new referrals were received and current appointment capacity remained unchanged.
The calculation is defined as:
(Waiting list size ÷ Average first appointments per month) ÷ 12
where average first appointments per month is calculated over the most recent 12 months with usable data.
This figure assumes stable capacity and does not model demand growth, policy changes, or pathway constraints.
Some NHS bodies suppress small values (for example by reporting “<5” or omitting a figure entirely) to reduce the risk of patient identification.
Where suppression occurs:
This approach prioritises accuracy and transparency over completeness, and avoids presenting speculative figures as factual data.
All estimates published by TransClinicIndex are subject to important limitations:
For these reasons, figures should be interpreted as indicators, not guarantees.
Data is updated as new information becomes available. Where FOI responses supersede older published figures, the newer data replaces earlier entries.
Historical values may change if NHS bodies revise or correct previously disclosed data.
TransClinicIndex does not receive NHS funding and is not affiliated with any NHS trust. The project exists to improve public understanding through transparent use of public data.
All assumptions are documented, and source references are provided wherever possible.
All calculated figures on TransClinicIndex are indicators, not predictions. They are intended to illustrate scale and direction, not to guarantee individual outcomes.