The Newshound

Taxpayers face a £6.5m NHS bill as breast removal surgeries for women who identify as men soar 52 per cent

The NHS spends an estimated £21m a year in total on gender reassignment surgery, of which masculinising chest procedures account for £6.5m.
The NHS spends an estimated £21m a year in total on gender reassignment surgery, of which masculinising chest procedures account for £6.5m.

NHS data obtained through freedom of information requests shows that 1,115 breast removal operations were carried out on women identifying as men in 2024-25, a 52 per cent rise from 734 in 2022-23, with more than 900 procedures logged so far this financial year. The annual NHS bill for these operations now reaches as much as £6.5m, based on an estimated cost of £5,800 per surgery.

Each procedure is priced at around £5,800, while total NHS spending across all gender reassignment surgery runs to an estimated £21m a year.

A formal review of adult gender services concluded that the majority of patients attending gender clinics fell between the ages of 18 and 25.

Sinead Watson, who went on to regret and reverse her transition, had a double mastectomy after body image difficulties during her time at university.

MoreThe TelegraphTaxpayers foot £6.5m bill as trans breast removal surgeries soarGB NewsTaxpayers shell out £6.5m NHS bill amid huge surge in trans patients wanting breast removalDaily MailNumber of women having breasts removed on the NHS because they identify as men has soared 50 per cent in two years
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