A transgender woman in North Derbyshire was so determined to have sex reassignment surgery, she performed a DIY castration.

The patient, 22, waited 24 hours before going to hospital, the Sheffield Star reports.

She is understood to have been determined to undergo sex reassignment surgery and did not use an anaesthetic.

She told doctors that the process hurt less than she expected as they treated the wound and offered psychiatric help.

A spokesman for Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trust said: “A man [sic] in his early twenties presented himself at the hospital minus his testicles, which he had removed the previous day.

“He was treated, then discharged.

“We can say no more because of patient confidentiality – but this is pretty unusual.”

Referrals for medical treatment of transgenderism can take months and patients are required to live in their new role for a set time period before surgery takes place.

In December, PinkNews.co.uk revealed that one NHS trust was temporarily stopping referrals for transgender treatment.

NHS West Kent is also ceasing referrals for gastric band surgery and couples seeking IVF but trans campaigners say people with these conditions do not have a high suicide rate, unlike trans people waiting for treatment.