Russell Reid
Encyclopedia
Russell Reid is a retired consultant
psychiatrist
who specialized in sexual and gender-related conditions. He is particularly known for his work with gender identity disorder
patients. Richard Curtis took over his practice after his retirement. Reid grew up in New Zealand
and worked privately in the United Kingdom
. Britain's best-known expert on gender reassignment, he was a member of the parliamentary forum on transsexualism
.
In 2006-2007, Reid was investigated by the General Medical Council
(GMC), the regulatory body for doctors in the UK. A serious professional misconduct hearing opened following complaints brought by four doctors from the main NHS Gender Identity Clinic at Charing Cross hospital, west London, and some of his former patients. It is alleged that he breached international standards of care, set by the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association
(HBIGDA) by inappropriately prescribing cross-gender hormones to patients and referring them for sex reassignment surgery
without adequate assessment.
Britain's primary lobbying organization for transgendered and transsexual people, Press for Change, was quoted as saying that that Reid received support during the process from more than 150 patients as well as additional experts in the area. Ultimately, the enquiry found Reid guilty of Serious Professional Misconduct, mostly for failing to communicate fully with patients GPs (A rule that it is reported many private doctors in the UK are unaware of) and not documenting his reasons for departing from the HBIGDA Standards of Care guidelines sufficiently. However, the panel "determined that it would be ... in the public interest as well as your own interests if you were to return to practice..." and allowed him to return to practice, subject to some restrictions on his practice and hormone prescriptions for the next 12 months.
Reid was a member of an expert committee set up by the Royal College of Psychiatrists
to draw up new UK care guidelines on the treatment of Gender identity disorder
. He stepped down as a member of the group in the wake of the GMC inquiry.
Reid was also interviewed as part of a BBC
documentary, Complete Obsession, dealing with patients seeking limb amputations.
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
who specialized in sexual and gender-related conditions. He is particularly known for his work with gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe persons who experience significant gender dysphoria . It describes the symptoms related to transsexualism, as well as less severe manifestations of gender dysphoria...
patients. Richard Curtis took over his practice after his retirement. Reid grew up in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and worked privately in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Britain's best-known expert on gender reassignment, he was a member of the parliamentary forum on transsexualism
Transsexualism
Transsexualism is an individual's identification with a gender inconsistent or not culturally associated with their biological sex. Simply put, it defines a person whose biological birth sex conflicts with their psychological gender...
.
In 2006-2007, Reid was investigated by the General Medical Council
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise...
(GMC), the regulatory body for doctors in the UK. A serious professional misconduct hearing opened following complaints brought by four doctors from the main NHS Gender Identity Clinic at Charing Cross hospital, west London, and some of his former patients. It is alleged that he breached international standards of care, set by the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association
Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Inc. is a professional organization devoted to the understanding and treatment of gender dysphoria. The organization was originally named after Harry Benjamin, one of the earliest physicians to work with transsexuals...
(HBIGDA) by inappropriately prescribing cross-gender hormones to patients and referring them for sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
without adequate assessment.
Britain's primary lobbying organization for transgendered and transsexual people, Press for Change, was quoted as saying that that Reid received support during the process from more than 150 patients as well as additional experts in the area. Ultimately, the enquiry found Reid guilty of Serious Professional Misconduct, mostly for failing to communicate fully with patients GPs (A rule that it is reported many private doctors in the UK are unaware of) and not documenting his reasons for departing from the HBIGDA Standards of Care guidelines sufficiently. However, the panel "determined that it would be ... in the public interest as well as your own interests if you were to return to practice..." and allowed him to return to practice, subject to some restrictions on his practice and hormone prescriptions for the next 12 months.
Reid was a member of an expert committee set up by the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
to draw up new UK care guidelines on the treatment of Gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe persons who experience significant gender dysphoria . It describes the symptoms related to transsexualism, as well as less severe manifestations of gender dysphoria...
. He stepped down as a member of the group in the wake of the GMC inquiry.
Reid was also interviewed as part of a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary, Complete Obsession, dealing with patients seeking limb amputations.