British Man Plans to Sue NHS Trust Over Transgender Surgery Regret

Surgeons at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham conduct an operation in Birmingham, England, in a file photo. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

A British man said that his life has become “almost unbearable” since he had transgender surgery four years ago, and he is now planning a legal case against Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

Ritchie Herron told the Mail On Sunday that he had repeatedly turned down the procedure that removed his genitals.

Before he had the surgery he claimed that he “voiced deep misgivings to the clinic’s staff” about having it.

He added that he was fast-tracked into making “the biggest mistake of his life,” which has left him infertile, incontinent, and in pain.

Mental Health Issues

Prior to his surgery, he said that he suffered from mental health issues from decades of suppressing his homosexuality, such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He added that older men on an Internet forum convinced him that he “must be trans.”

In the UK, transgender surgeries (“chest reconstructive surgery” and “genital reconstruction” surgery) can be undertaken by surgeons commissioned by the taxpayer funded National Health Service (NHS).

The latest so-called “detransitioning” case could echo that of Keira Bell, 23, who as a teen transitioned to male but came to regret it. The case set in motion a focus on puberty blockers which is now influencing other countries to radically overhaul the treatment of children with gender dysphoria.

Bell was given puberty blockers as a teenager after only three hours of consultation at the Tavistock Clinic, London, which runs England’s only NHS gender identity development service (GIDS). Initially, her case won a judgement that children under the age of 16 considering gender reassignment were unlikely to be considered mature enough to give informed consent to be prescribed puberty-blocking drugs.

However, the Court of Appeal overturned the judgment.

‘Avalanche Waiting to Happen’

Herron was referred to a psychologist who he claimed did not dissuade him of the notion he had gender dysphoria. Furthermore, he said that he received a referral for vaginoplasty, but turned it down.

When he was given a date at the Nuffield Health hospital in Brighton paid for by the NHS, he alleged that he was told that if he did not accept the referral he would be discharged from the service.

When he finally got surgery, his first thought as he recovered from the painkillers, was, “Oh God, what have I done?”

He said that he expects more people will come forward with similar grievances.

Herron, who is now 35, is planning a legal case against Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

“I’m proof the whole system has to become far more robust. How many more people are there out there like me?’ said Herron.

“This is an avalanche waiting to happen. Transition is now being sold to people on a mass scale. It’s like PPI [payment protection insurance], but more sinister,” he said.

“In a few years, I’m sure we’ll have law firms asking people if they transitioned and would like to claim compensation,” he added.

“My concern is clinicians failed to identify red flags and change direction. Proper consideration needs to be given to issues such as OCD, internalised homophobia, depression, drug use, sexual abuse, and childhood trauma as potential reasons for patients’ rejecting their sexed body,” said barrister Peter Harthan, who is representing Herron.

‘Thorough Assessment’

A spokesman for Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust told The Epoch Times by email that it was “unable to comment on an individual’s care and treatment.”

“The Northern Regional Gender Dysphoria Service is a psychologically informed medical service for adults, providing assessment and treatment for gender dysphoria aimed at alleviating the distress caused by gender dysphoria. The service does not provide mental health services, however, if a patient is struggling with their mental health, we will assist them to access the support they need,” the spokesman said.

He added that “patients’ needs and goals and treatment decisions are made following a thorough assessment in line with national recommendations.”

“Treatment decisions are made by the team and all patients are seen by more than one member of the team. The team frequently seek external opinion from specialists outside of the service at significant parts of the treatment pathway. Check points are built into the care process and referrals to external services are made as appropriate, for example to specialist surgical services,” said the trust.