the inquest into Alice’s death concluded today. the coroner recognised that the 1,023 days Alice spent on the Gender Identity Clinic waiting list had a devastating impact on Alice’s mental health and said that GPs lack clarity in how to support young trans people
the inquest heard that if a trans person was referred to the GIC today, they would wait 20 years before receiving their first appointment. it’s clear that the status quo cannot continue, and we will continue to fight for all trans people to have access to the healthcare they need
'I do believe that with the right care she could have managed and she would have thrived'. We spoke to
@bbcsoutheast
today about Alice's death and the changes we want to see for all trans people
Alice was a beautiful dancer, a kind friend and a loving sister who died by suicide on 26 May 2022 aged 20. We want the coroner to recognise the lack of access to gender affirming care in the UK and list this as one of the key factors in her death. Our statement:
the coroner will send prevention of future death reports to NHS England, the Royal College of GPs and the GIC. we welcome the focus on primary care; we are asking NHS England to ensure that GPs have the resources and training to provide trans-affirming care
'It's a torture to be left on the wait list for so long, with no end in sight, with no power, no control over your own destiny'. We spoke to
@Channel4News
about Alice's death and the struggles she faced in accessing healthcare. The whole interview is here:
Unfortunately our comments on the hostility of the 'trans debate' have proved very prescient. In the middle of the inquest into Alice's death, we are flooded with hateful comments about her. What they say bears no relation to the Alice we knew and loved.
The inquest into Alice's death will start next week on 18th September. We want the coroner to recognise failings in trans healthcare as a cause of her death and recommend changes that will prevent future deaths. Our family statement:
At the inquest into Alice's death, the coroner said she will be writing prevention of future death reports addressing problems in gender-affirming care and mental health care for trans people. We look forward to receiving NHS England's response.
We have all cried for Corei today. His mother is now suffering transphobic abuse, just as we do when we speak about Alice's death. There are no words for the pain of knowing that some people dedicate their lives to the cause of making young trans people's lives harder to live.
Alice is remembered here by her sister
@kate_Iit
:
“My family and I will always name the political conditions of Alice’s death… more than anything, though, we wish that she was still here, because she was beautiful and we loved her.”
it's heartbreaking to be marking Alice's 21st birthday today without her here to celebrate. we believe Alice could still be alive if she'd had access to the healthcare she needed, and that future deaths can be prevented if the NHS urgently addresses the crisis in trans healthcare
Alice Litman would have turned 21 today. A sister and daughter in a loving family, Alice took her own life last May after waiting over 3 years for gender-affirming treatment.
Read Alice’s story here or watch the video below:
(CW: suicide)
@DragonNovelist
Thank you for covering Alice's story and taking the time to understand the differences between the UK and US systems. We have watched your video <3
@wandsingh
I'm so sorry to hear that Dawn. It has been so devastating hearing from the family members of other young trans people who have taken their own lives. We know that unbearable pain and are campaigning for them all <3
@Transwthnoplan
they are legally required to respond within 56 days of the report being published. we're ready to stand outside NHS England with megaphones if we don't think they're listening...