17-year-old trans girl’s suicide over NHS wait times was preventable, coroner rules
The 17-year-old trans teen’s death could have been prevented, a coroner has ruled. (Getty)
The 17-year-old trans teen's death could have been prevented, a coroner has ruled. (Getty)
A 17-year-old girl who took her own life waiting to be seen by an NHS gender clinic could have been saved if wait times were shorter, a coroner has ruled.
Warning: This article references suicide and statistics on suicidality among trans and non-binary people. Reader discretion is advised.
Leia Sampson-Grimbly, a 17-year-old trans girl, died by suicide in 2024 following a struggle with her mental health while waiting to be seen by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
Senior coroner, Andrew Walker, said her death was preventable and that the Camden-based gender clinic’s wait times were “far too long.”
“Having to battle with changes to her body without receiving the necessary preventative treatment, together with the many hurdles and setbacks, gradually eroded her belief that she would succeed and everything would be alright,” he said.
Described as “complex, kind, intelligent, and determined,” Leia’s mental health reportedly deteriorated following the Tavistock’s closure in 2024 under recommendations from the controversial Cass Report on trans youth healthcare provision.
The clinic, which was the only NHS centre providing trans youth care, has been gradually replaced by regional hubs across England and Wales.
Mr Walker urged NHS gender clinics to do more to bring down the waiting lists to help prevent mental health risks among those waiting for care.
“Our sincere condolences go to the family. The trust is engaging with the coroner following the Prevention fo the Future Death report,” a spokesperson for the trust said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the trans campaign group TransLuscent said Leia’s death was a “direct consequence of a healthcare system designed to delay, obstruct, and ultimately deny necessary medical treatment to vulnerable trans youth.”
Trans people waiting up to 224 years for first appointment
It comes just days after an eye-opening report revealed that many patients are likely to wait a third of their lifetime for a first appointment at an NHS gender clinic in the UK, with some waiting as long as 224 years.
Data obtained by QueerAF, in association with What the Trans?! and Claire’s Trans Talks, revealed that, as of March 2025, 48,000 people were waiting for a first appointment at one of the UK’s 15 gender clinics. For every person seen in 2024, four more people joined the list.
Wait times for each clinic vary massively, from just three months in Nottingham, to 41 years in Belfast, and a staggering 224 years in Glasgow.
Several patients yet to have their first assessment told journalist they had felt “lied to” when told to expect a 20-month wait, with one person telling QueerAF: “If I’d known at the time it would be seven years, I would have gone to a different gender clinic.”
NHS England’s medical director for specialised services, professor James Palmer, said in a statement: “This is why we have commissioned an independently led review into the operation and delivery of the adult gender dysphoria clinics, alongside work already undertaken to introduce new care models that are making significant progress in helping to bring down these very long waits.”
Data from 2024 suggests that trans adults are six times more likely to have attempted suicide compared to cisgender people, with many citing restrictions in accessing gender-affirming care as a major contributor to their poor mental health.
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