Puberty blockers for under-18s with gender dysphoria will be banned indefinitely in the UK, outside clinical trials, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said there is a need to “act with caution” and “follow the expert advice” in caring for this “vulnerable group of young people”.
Mr Streeting announced an “indefinite” ban on the prescription of puberty blockers to children after the Commission on Human Medicines found there is “an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children.”
A review by the body found children were prescribed the medication having just completed an online questionnaire and having had just one zoom call.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Mr Streeting said: “Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led. The independent expert Commission on Human Medicines found that the current prescribing and care pathway for gender dysphoria and incongruence presents an unacceptable safety risk for children and young people.
“Dr Cass’s review also raised safety concerns around the lack of evidence for these medical treatments. We need to act with caution and care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people, and follow the expert advice.
“We are working with NHS England to open new gender identity services, so people can access holistic health and wellbeing support they need.
“We are setting up a clinical trial into the use of puberty blockers next year, to establish a clear evidence base for the use of this medicine.”
Bans on the routine prescription of puberty blockers were put in place by the NHS following a review by Dr Hilary Cass. These bans were extended to private clinics by the former government and extended by the current government to the end of this year.
A trial is due to start, following the Cass review, into the impact and effectiveness puberty blockers on children.
Dr Cass, who published her final report in April, described puberty blockers as “powerful drugs with unproven benefits and significant risks”.
She said: “That is why I recommended that they should only be prescribed following a multi-disciplinary assessment and within a research protocol.
“I support the Government’s decision to continue restrictions on the dispensing of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria outside the NHS where these essential safeguards are not being provided.”
More to follow…
