Transgender healthcare wait times in Netherlands reach six years, group warns of crisis
The wait time for an initial intake appointment for transgender health care in the Netherlands has reached up to six years, according to Transgender Netwerk. The organization’s chair, Remke Verdegem, called the situation “a crisis that has gotten completely out of hand,” Trouw reports.
“The waiting time has been growing faster each year, but structural solutions are nowhere in sight,” Verdegem told Trouw. “Transgender people who need life-saving care are increasingly stuck in years-long limbo. The consequences are severe.”
Verdegem emphasized that the prolonged delays are not only frustrating but also harmful. “Mental health issues among patients on the waiting list only get worse. This is dangerous,” she said. Citing research from suicide prevention center 113 Zelfmoordpreventie, she noted that more than 80 percent of transgender people in the Netherlands have contemplated suicide — significantly more than among non-transgender people.
On Saturday afternoon, during the Pride Walk in Amsterdam, the organization will draw attention to the crisis in a symbolic protest. Participants will shout: “Please hold, there are still 7,000 people ahead of you! The waiting time may be up to six years.”
Transgender Netwerk says urgent policy intervention is needed to address the worsening delays and to ensure access to timely and appropriate care for thousands of people currently on hold.
