Transexual Loses Bid For State-Paid Breast Enlargements

Identified only as "C" for legal reasons, the gender identity disorder (GID) sufferer -- referring to people unhappy with their sex -- has been living as a woman for more than a decade.

Her breasts failed to develop sufficiently following hormonal treatment, leaving her in physical and psychological "limbo."

The transsexual, who is from the Reading area west of London, challenged the local National Health Service branch's refusal to pay for breast augmentation surgery, at a cost of £2,300 ($3,300).

West Berkshire Primary Care Trust said it was not an essential part of GID treatment and there was no evidence it would improve her health.

At the High Court in London, Judge David Bean dismissed her claim for judicial review and refused leave to appeal.

"There was no duty in either public law or discrimination law to classify all treatment and procedures sought by transsexuals as high priority or core procedures," he said.