HYWEL Dda University Health Board has appointed a new nurse who specialises in gender.

It is the first time the health board has appointed a gender nurse specialist – Polly Zipperlen – who will be working as part of the local gender team which will support patients across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

Polly is an experienced sexual health nurse and will join Dr Sam Rice, a consultant endocrinologist, and will look after patients when they have been assessed by the Welsh Gender Service, which is based in Cardiff and then have been discharged back into the home locality for ongoing management, particularly working with members of the trans community.

Dr Rice said: “We are delighted that for the first time in Hywel Dda UHB, we have a clinical service to support our local trans community.

“Working in partnership with our GPs in primary care and the national gender service, we have developed a firm foundation that will improve our ability to support this group of people as much or as little as they need.”

Polly said: “I am really excited to be in this role. It demonstrates a real, lived commitment to the trans communities in west Wales.”

Lisa Humphrey, general manager, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Polly as our first gender nurse specialist.

“We are committed to working collaboratively to support our local communities and are proud that Hywel Dda UHB is blazing the trail in its approach to gender services by investing in the local delivery of care in this way.”