Thousands waiting years for a gender clinic appointment in Scotland

The Cass review also recommended a halt to the use of puberty blockers until further researcher was carried out.

A trial led by King’s College London is set to examine the impact of the drugs on their physical, social and emotional wellbeing.

The Scottish government said it was now providing funding to health boards on a recurring basis to support improvements across gender identity clinics.

It added this included the recruitment of additional staff to expand multidisciplinary teams, improve communications with patients and to develop new resources and processes to support people on waiting lists.

A spokesperson said: “The Scottish government recognises that the waiting times to access these services remain unacceptably long, and the impact that this can have on those waiting and their families.

“We continue to work closely with health boards to reduce waiting times, ensure patients receive compassionate care and to provide access to support for patients who are waiting.”