Transexual wins surgery funding

Ms Davies said she knew she was different from an early age

A transsexual from Nottinghamshire has won her fight with the NHS to be given hormone treatment and surgery to change sex from a man to a woman.

Debbie Davies, from Rainworth, had previously been on hunger strike over the lack of funding for her treatment.

Ms Davies, who was born as Richard in 1966, has been living as a woman for the past 18 months.

Nottinghamshire County PCT has written to Ms Davies agreeing to pay for the full treatment.

Ms Davies wanted a full surgical sex change but said she could not afford to fund it privately.

Hormone treatment is literally pounds a week, it's not an expensive process Debbie Davies

Ms Davies, who used to work as a welder as Richard but now works as an IT consultant, said she had bought her own hormone pills online in the past but could no longer afford to keep up the treatment.

She said she had been prescribed a one-off supply of the hormone pills by her GP but that would have eventually run out.

Speaking after receiving the letter from the primary care trust Ms Davies said the hormone treatment was not expensive.

"Hormone treatment is literally pounds a week, it's not an expensive process.

"Obviously there's a medical side that goes with that as well, the final surgery is about £10,000.

"As long as I fulfil my part of the bargain and live as a woman for two years, then it's there."

Debbie Davies' hunger strike lasted for seven days in May.

The PCT has said it was happy the case had now been resolved and they continued to support Ms Davies.