Do you think you should be taking the lead on improving trans and gender-diverse Londoners' access to healthcare?

Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): I am a passionate and vocal supporter of trans and gender‑diverse Londoners. I want to ensure that we do all that we can for these communities to enable them to live their lives authentically and with the respect we all deserve. Trans and gender‑diverse people should have full access to all the services and opportunities other Londoners have, including general health services. I meet regularly with the NHS leadership in London, and I will continue to champion the healthcare needs of trans and gender‑diverse people in these discussions.

I want to thank the Health Committee for their inquiry earlier this year into access to general healthcare for the trans and gender‑diverse community. The report recommendations raised several important issues about NHS data collection, highlighting actions the NHS could be taking to improve awareness of the needs of this group across the whole of the NHS, including through training for GPs and other staff.

Most of the recommendations contained within the report are aimed at the NHS and I know that the Health Committee has followed these up directly. In my response to the Health Committee of 31 March [2022] I agreed to write to NHS Digital regarding data collection. I have done this, and I await their reply, which I will share with the Health Committee when I receive it.

My Health Inequality Strategy contains many actions and approaches that will benefit trans and gender‑diverse Londoners, for example, mental health policies and programmes ‑‑

Andrew Boff AM: Sorry, to interrupt you, Mr Mayor, but I have about five seconds left. All the recommendations that were recommended to other bodies you accepted. All the recommendations that were about what you should be doing you said you are going to wait around for somebody else to do. We want you to take the lead on this issue, not just expect other people to pick up the responsibility.

Dr Onkar Sahota AM (Chair): You are out of time now.