The University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC) is set to welcome a specialised endocrinologist for transgender individuals this Monday after experiencing a substantial number of appointment cancellations with this specialist since January. LGTBIQ+ groups in Tenerife had raised concerns about the decreasing availability of this crucial service on the island.
Transgender individuals in Tenerife have been receiving messages stating, “Your endocrinology appointment has been cancelled. A new appointment will be scheduled soon.” Despite no restoration of appointments yet, the HUC has confirmed that the specialist will join next Monday. The hospital had been working on hiring this specialist after a position was vacated, leaving the service with only one endocrinologist.
Individuals interviewed by this newspaper expressed concerns over the existing endocrinologist being overwhelmed, potentially leading to a lack of specialised care. Yelko Ferrer stated, “The endocrine system is crucial for us.” [In a report with this newspaper](https://www.eldiario.es/canariasahora/sociedad/personas-trans-tenerife-afectadas-cancelacion-masiva-citas-falta-endocrinos-juego-salud_1_11263502.html).
Laura, who is diabetic, was scheduled for a consultation in April but received a cancellation message on March 20 without a new date. She is anxious about the impact of not having proper hormonal monitoring on her health. “I am more worried because I have a chronic condition and need specialist monitoring. I cannot take this lightly,” she explained.
Laura mentioned, “I am dealing with hormonal issues that can have adverse effects on health without proper monitoring. I may feel fine, but it could be affecting me negatively without my knowledge until the endocrinologist assesses me.” Her concern is that there is already a backlog of over 200 appointments, and she fears not being attended to for months due to the cancellations dating back to January.
Over the weekend, LGTBIQ+ groups on the island (Aperttura, Caminar Intersex, Canarypride, Diversas, Libertrans, Transboys, and Transwomen) [issued a joint statement denouncing the situation](https://www.eldiario.es/canariasahora/sociedad/colectivos-lgtbiq-alertan-cancelacion-masiva-citas-seguimiento-hormonal-personas-trans-huc-hospital-universitario-de-canarias-tenerife_1_11253534.html), cautioning about the severe risks posed to physical and psychological health for trans individuals due to the cancellation of about two hundred endocrinology appointments, along with the delay of numerous surgical procedures and the breakdown in follow-up consultations management by the Canarian Health Service in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
