OAN’s Avril Elfie
4:57 PM – Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) has announced that it will ban children from receiving puberty blockers at gender dysphoria clinics.
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From now on, puberty blockers will only be available to children who participate in clinical research trials.
Puberty blockers pause the physical and hormonal changes of puberty, such as breast development and facial hair.
The NHS claims there are currently fewer than 100 teenagers in the country using puberty blockers and they will continue to be allowed to receive the drugs.
The decision followed a public hearing on the issue and an independent review of gender identity services for under-18s commissioned by NHS England in 2020.
The review, led by Dr Hilary Cass, follows an increase in referrals to Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust’s Gender Identity Development Service (Gids).
In 2022, there will be over 5,000 referrals to Gid, up from less than 250 a decade ago.
Two new NHS services will open in early April in response to the closure of one major centre: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
In an interim report published in February 2022, Dr Cass proposed establishing community services to “provide better support for young people”.
Children attending these clinics receive clinical expertise in mental health, paediatrics and neurodiversity, “resulting in a holistic approach to care”, the NHS said.
It is expected that approximately 250 Gid patients will be transferred to the new clinic when it opens, and a further 5,000 children and young people are currently on the waiting list for referral to the new clinic.
Dr. Cass also cautioned that long-term studies and data on the outcomes of prescribing these types of drugs to children have been paused.
Health Secretary Maria Caulfield said: “We have always been clear that the safety and welfare of children is our top priority and we welcome this landmark decision by the NHS.” She said: “Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure that care is based on evidence and expert clinical opinion and is in the best interests of the child.”
“Given that the debate is often highly polarized, so was the response to the consultation,” Jon Stewart, NHS England’s national director of expert panels, told reporters. “Many said the policy did not go far enough in terms of still allowing potential access.” [to puberty blockers] Through research, and some who have clearly stated that they fundamentally disagree, that these should be provided on a regular basis to everyone who believes they need them. ”
“This is just the first step in building a regional model,” he added. “Our goal is to establish seven to eight specialized centers, including north and south hubs, over the next one to two years.”
NHS England is thought to be due to carry out a study into the use of puberty blockers by December 2024. However, eligibility requirements for the study have not yet been determined.
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