Significant fall in patients funded for sex-change treatment

The number of patients undergoing sex-change procedures in the UK at the expense of the HSE dropped substantially last year to just six, compared with 28 in 2016.

The treatments cost the HSE a total of €31,580, including expenses incurred by patients travelling to the UK for surgery and associated therapies.

Transgender reassignment or ‘sex-change’ procedures are not performed in Irish hospitals, but can be arranged in another country and funded by the taxpayer under the Treatment Abroad Scheme.