HELP & SUPPORT

To register, complete our registration request form. A team member will review your submission, and once approved, you’ll receive an email with next steps. You’ll then be onboarded to our Carebit Client Portal, where you can book services and manage your care. 

We offer flexible, community-driven gender-affirming health support, including:

• Flexible Support: Blood test referrals, guidance for those self-managing care, and letter-writing services.
• Prescribing Support: Prescription and monitoring support with independent clinicians.
• Shared Care: Support and assistance with NHS and GP integration for ongoing care.

We also help help with supporting your access to services such as counselling, psychotherapy, and clinical guidance. 

Pride In Health primarily provides support to clients within the UK. At this time, we are unable to offer services to those based outside of the UK. 

Our services are available to adults aged 18 and over. If you are under 18 and seeking guidance, we recommend reaching out to organisations such as 

• Mermaids: 0808 801 0400, mermaidsuk.org.uk
• LGBT Health & Wellbeing (Scotland): 0800 464 7000, lgbthealth.org.uk

A formal diagnosis is typically required before accessing a prescription through the clinicians working with us. If you don’t have one, you can book an Initial Intake Appointment with a psychologist as part of our pathway. If you already have a formal diagnosis , we’re happy to review it to see if it meets the requirements. 

All consultations, including initial assessments and doctor appointments, are conducted online via video calls. This means you can access support from anywhere in the UK without needing to travel.

If you don’t already have a formal diagnosis, the process typically looks like this:

1. Register & Submit Documents: Proof of ID x2, address, and any recent blood test results.
2. Initial Intake Appointment: A psychologist will assess for gender dysphoria.
3. Clinical Intake Appointment: A clinician will review your history and discuss treatment options.
4. Blood Tests & Prescription: Once required blood tests are completed and reviewed, the doctor can issue a private prescription.

If you already have a formal diagnosis, you may be able to book a shorter intake appointment with a psychologist.

 Costs will vary depending on your individual pathway, but a typical setup includes:

• Registration Fee: £65
• Initial Intake Appointment (Formal Diagnosis): £138
• Doctor Intake Appointment: £136
• Blood Tests: Costs vary depending on provider
• Ongoing Prescription Fees: £12 every 3 months (excluding medication cost)

The £12 prescription fee is for the prescribing service only. Medication costs vary depending on the pharmacy you choose.

Because services are provided online, you don’t need to stay in one location to access care. However, prescriptions are only valid in the UK, and you will need to arrange for a UK-based pharmacy to dispense your medication. It's also important that you keep your personal details updated, which you can do from within your Carebit Portal.

The timeline varies based on appointment availability, GP responses (if requesting shared care), and blood test processing times. On average:

• If using a private prescription: It typically takes 4–6 weeks from registration to receiving a prescription.
• If waiting for GP Shared Care approval: This can take 6–12+ weeks depending on how quickly your GP responds.

We always recommend ensuring you have 8–12 weeks of medication on hand when moving between providers. 

It's also important that your do your research and find a service that's right for you, regardless of whether you choose to move services or stay with your current provider.

Accessing private care should not remove you from NHS waiting lists, so you can choose to transition to NHS care if and when you reach the top of the list. When you do, you'll be able to download your blood test results and appointment letters to share with the NHS services.

Counselling is not mandatory, but support is available if you feel it would be beneficial. A initial assessment including formal diagnosis (Initial Intake Appointment) is required if you do not have a formal diagnosis (Prescribing Support and Shared Care only).

Progesterone is included within the treatment protocols followed by the clinicians working with us. However, research around its effects in trans healthcare is still developing, so decisions around prescribing are made on a case-by-case basis after discussion with your clinician. 

We'll add you to a recall system to help remind you about requesting your prescriptions, booking blood tests, and ongoing appointment, but we recommend requesting a prescription renewal at least 4 weeks before running out of medication to prevent any shortfall. If you do find yourself without medication, a bridging prescription may be available following a review with your clinician.

We'll add you to a recall system to help remind you about requesting your prescriptions, booking blood tests, and ongoing appointment, but we recommend requesting a prescription renewal at least 4 weeks before running out of medication to prevent any shortfall. If you do find yourself without medication, a bridging prescription may be available following a review with your clinician.

It's recommend a recent blood test (within the last 3 months) before starting hormone therapy. If you don’t have results, we can refer you for testing once you've registered. 

Before starting hormone therapy, blood tests are required to check your overall health and ensure safe prescribing. The specific tests depend on your treatment pathway but commonly include: 

• Hormone Levels: Testosterone, Oestradiol
• Full Blood Count (FBC)
• Liver Function Tests (LFTs)
• Kidney Function Tests (U&E)
• Lipids & Glucose: Cholesterol, HbA1c

Your clinician will confirm exactly which tests you need after your intake appointment, as there may be some additional tets required based on your medical history.

Blood tests are required at the following stages:

• Before starting treatment or changing medication
• 3 months after starting or changing medication
• 6 months after starting treatment
• Annually for ongoing monitoring

If you are on shared care, your GP may request additional tests based on their guidelines.

For most tests, fasting is not required. However, if your blood test includes lipids (cholesterol) or glucose (HbA1c), your clinician may recommend fasting for at least 8 hours before your test. 

If you’re using injections, your blood test should be taken midway between doses to get an accurate reading.

If you’re using daily gels or patches, it's usually best to test just before applying your next dose to measure trough levels.

Your clinician should confirm the best timing for your specific medication.

You have several options for arranging your blood tests:

• Through Pride in Health: We can arrange a private referral for an in-clinic or at-home nurse blood draw.
• Through Your GP: If your GP is supportive, we can provide a Blood Test Request Letter (£24) to request NHS blood tests.
• Through a Private Clinic: You can book blood tests independently and upload your results to your Carebit portal for review (£9 analysis fee).

Once registered, if your GP or another provider has recently done blood tests, you can upload the results via the "Test Results" tab of your Carebit Portal. 

Results from private blood tests arranged through us typically take 3–5 working days. If done through the NHS, results may take longer depending on your GP’s processing times. 

To upload blood test results:

1. Login to your Carebit Portal
2. Navigate to the Test Results section.
3. Click Upload New Test Result and select the file from your device.
4. Ensure it’s labelled correctly (e.g., "Recent Blood Test" with the date).

Hormone therapy can impact blood pressure, so it’s important to ensure it’s within a safe range before starting and at regular intervals throughout your treatment.

 You have several options for checking your blood pressure:

• At Your GP Practice: Many GP surgeries offer blood pressure checks.
• At a Pharmacy: Many pharmacies offer free or low-cost blood pressure checks.
• At Home: You can purchase a home blood pressure monitor and take readings yourself.

 You have several options for checking your blood pressure:

• At Your GP Practice: Many GP surgeries offer blood pressure checks.
• At a Pharmacy: Many pharmacies offer free or low-cost blood pressure checks.
• At Home: You can purchase a home blood pressure monitor and take readings yourself.

Independent clinicians working with Pride In Health can issue private prescriptions following the required assessment. These sent to your chosen pharmacy for dispensing. 

*Please note that mediation costs are paid directly to your chosen pharmacy.

Once you've received your first prescription, you'll be added to a 3 monthly prescription recall, used to remind you several times to request your prescription. It's recommended that you request a new prescription when you're down to your last four weeks of medications.

A clinician will review your request along with recent blood test results before issuing a prescription. 

Depending on your location, prescriptions can be sent to a pharmacy of your choosing. However, pharmacy do have a right to refuse prescriptions if they're unsure of the source or validity of the prescription. While we're happy to support pharmacies to dispense your prescriptions, it's always recommended that you speak to your preferred pharmacy before requesting a prescription.

You can ask your pharmacy to contact us using the details on your prescription, and we'll be happy to support them and answer any questions they may have. Alternatively, we can support you in finding an alternative pharmacy.