Response to High Court ruling on puberty blockers
On 29 July 2024, the High Court ruled a ban on puberty blockers introduced by the government was lawful.
DHSC's response is below:
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:
“I welcome the court’s decision today. Children’s healthcare must be evidence-led. Dr Cass' review found there was insufficient evidence that puberty blockers are safe and effective for children with gender dysphoria and gender incongruence. We must therefore act cautiously and with care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people.
“I am working with NHS England to improve children’s gender identity services, and to setting up a clinical trial to establish the evidence on puberty blockers.
“I want trans people in our country to feel safe, accepted, and able to live with freedom and dignity.”
Background
- In line with advice from the Cass Review, NHS England is setting up a fundamentally different and improved approach to children and young people’s gender services, one which provides holistic support for patients and their families, taking a number of concrete steps and measures of support, such as:
- Opening the first of up to eight new regional centres and offering enhanced mental health support for all children and young people under the age of 18 who are on the waiting list or waiting for their first appointment with the new services.
- Expanding of the number of children and young people gender services to match the capacity with demand and significantly shorten waiting times.
- Continued development of the information provided to patients waiting by the National Referral Support Service.
- Access to children and young people mental health assessment for the patients currently on waiting lists who may not have had a secondary care assessment.
- Coordinated transition between children and young people Gender services and adult services.
- Engagement with key third sector organisations who provide crisis support.
- This Summer NHS England will publish a new referral specification that will ensure that all those referred have an assessment of the need for additional support from children and young people mental health services.
Response to Professor Louis Appleby review
On 19 July 2024, DHSC has published an independent report from Professor Louis Appleby reviewing data held by NHS England on deaths by young patients of the gender services at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust.
Professor Appleby was asked by the Secretary of State to conduct the review following claims made by campaigners suggesting a rise in suicide rates.
The report concluded the data does not support these claims and found “the way this issue has been discussed on social media has been insensitive, distressing and dangerous, and goes against guidance on safe reporting of suicide.”
The full report is here: Review of suicides and gender dysphoria at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust: independent report - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Please see below DHSC’s statement below.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
“Decisions on our children’s healthcare must follow the evidence at all times.
“Dr Cass' review found there was insufficient evidence to show puberty blockers were safe for under 18s which is why the NHS has already stopped their routine prescription for children with gender dysphoria.
“We are committed to ensuring children questioning their gender receive the best possible multidisciplinary care, led by expert clinical guidance. That is why we are reforming gender identity services.
“It is vital that the public discussion around this issue is handled sensitively and responsibly.”
Background:
On Professor Louis Appleby:
- Professor Louis Appleby is an independent advisor who was asked by the Secretary of State to conduct an independent review of the data held by NHS England on suicides by young patients of the gender services at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust.
- Professor Appleby leads the Centre for Mental Health and Safety, investigating suicide and self-harm, the largest research unit in this field internationally. He also chairs the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, which provides leadership and support in ensuring successful implementation of ‘Preventing Suicide in England’, the cross-government strategy for suicide prevention.
- Professor Appleby has been researching and publishing on suicide for over 20 years and drew up the first suicide prevention strategy for England in 2002.
- More information about Professor Appleby: Professor Louis Appleby - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Samaritans has published guidelines for media outlets when reporting suicide: Samaritans' media guidelines for reporting suicide | Samaritans
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