PRESS RELEASE

DATE: 26th May 2007
FROM : Transsexual UK
EMBARGO: Immediate

Krystyna Haywood
Founder of Transsexual UK
http://www.transsexual.org.uk


STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH DR. REID


In view of the judgement made by the General Medical Council this week,
Transsexual UK urges trans people in the UK and around the World,
whether they have received treatment or not from Dr. Reid, to strongly
consider leaving a message of support at the blog site, found at
http://russellreid.blogspot.com.

Dr. Russell Reid, has long been a world renowned psychiatrist for
transsexual people, and who has been under a several week trial by the
General Medical Council.


THANKS FOR SAVING LIVES, DR REID!

The message from the wider trans trans community is simple and there for
all to see - thanks for saving our lives Dr Reid.

The honest, spiritual truth is plainly clear: in their eyes, Dr Reid
still holds, and will always the title as a world renowned psychiatrist
whose warmth and compassion for real patient centred care of his
patients. Dr Reid has a strength that cannot be brow beaten by a clear
jealous intent other professionals who have no other power than to
simply follow the leader of the pack, and with all might can only simply
maintain what is a somewhat Stalinist grasp of a failing NHS treatment
resource for transsexual people.

The comment below by Press for Change's Christine Burns, says it all.


THE TESTIMONIES ADD TO THE FEELING!

Regardless of the GMC findings, the testimonies of hundreds, if not
thousands of happy and satisfied transsexual people treated by Dr Reid
is no feat to be beaten when compared to the testimonies of 5 unhappy
people.

There are few places for the trans community and their allies to leave
their messages of support and respect to Dr Russell Reid, and, there's
never been more of a need for a place on the web for the GMC panel and
Reid's opponents to see the evidence that he has saved the lives of many
trans people, treated them with respect and left them with the dignity
they deserve.

Having experienced his treatment, many trans people know all too well
his methods to be humane, responsible and the best care possible.

The time is now and the place is here for you to leave your supportive
comments enabling Dr Russell Reid to keep his self respect and dignity
intact.

Russell will read your messages, and he might reply..!!

Dr. Reid has given assurance that he "will read your messages whether
good or bad", but adds that he "may not be able to respond at this
time." He also said that he is "grateful for the support given." Now
that the case is over, if you seek a private reply at Russell Reid's
discretion, please use the fourth step fond on the blog to send a direct
email.

Go to http://russellreid.blogspot.com and make your comment



A COMMENT FROM CHRISTINE BURNS

-----Original Message-----
From: Christine Burns
Sent: 25 May 2007 15:56
To: Press for Change News Distribution
Subject: UK: The Comments The Guardian Declined to Print

The following is, word for word, what I provided on invitation from The
Guardian's David Batty, and which he declined to use on the basis that
they "...required a degree of knowledge of this case and the wider
issues of GID care that the general reader lacks."

He clearly has a poor opinion of his readers.

- Christine


Quote:

"This case has served to emphasise the need for practitioners and other
stakeholders in this field to refine approaches which enable patients to
feel they are being supported and respected. This is vital if the
pressures on doctors to respond to the very real distress and urgency of
patients are to be alleviated, allowing more time for dialogue and
reflection on all sides."

"It's difficult from a distance for outsiders to appreciate the care
which Dr Reid felt he was giving, faced with patients already brutalised
to the point where a further setback or rejection was likely to lead to
no care at all and possible suicide from despair.

That's the moral dilemma faced by most who practice in this field.
What value is there in 'going by the book' if you lose the patient to
black market hormones and unregulated surgeries abroad, or them killing
themselves?"

"It's a pity that the GMC was not more able to really hear more of that
reality through the evidence it was constrained to consider, as I'm sure
many trans people will see this judgement and feel that the real story --
the one they've lived through -- hasn't been understood.

It's also a tragedy that the history of marginalisation in this field of
care should have led to this point."

"The long duration of this case has delayed progress on dealing with
these challenges but now the important thing is to focus more on work to
ensure that trans people are cared for better throughout the National
Health Service. People with gender issues need to be referred for
assessment promptly, to a choice of provision near to where they live.
Mental Health professionals need to look more carefully at the balance
between sensible caution and creating unreasonable hoops that simply
drive patients out of their care. If the NHS cares then these are the
kinds of progress desperately needed to show it's not all just
sanctimonious rhetoric. Never has there been an area of care where the
words "Patient Centred" were so desperately in demand. Russell Reid's
version of being patient centred brought about this case, but it was the
lack of care elsewhere that brought the patients to his door."


-------------
These comments may of course be quoted elsewhere so long as they are
fully intact or any edits are explicitly agreed with me.

Christine Burns, Press for Change
http://www.pfc.org.uk