Kathleen Wynne says gender reassignment wait list 'of concern'

Premier KathleenWynnesays the lengthy wait times transgenderpeople in Ontario face for gender reassignment surgeries are "of concern."

The Ontario Health Insurance Plan does not cover gender reassignment surgeries unless the patient is referred by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, which can take months or years before patients are seen for initial appointments.

Wynnesays that health-care transformation is required as many types of procedures, including gender reassignment surgeries, become necessary across Ontario's aging population.

CAMH presidentCatherineZahnsays the situation is a "supply and demand issue," with demand for gender reassignment surgeries quickly rising while the facility remains the only site in Ontario that can approve patients.

Zahnsays there are approximately 970 patients on the waiting list for gender-reassignment surgeries, and the facility now receives up to 100 referrals per month.

She says recent media attention given totransgenderissues, such asCaitlynJenner'srecent Vanity Fair spread, may help explain an uptickin referrals and the increasing public awareness of gender reassignment surgeries.