The National Health Service (NHS) in England has ceased prescribing puberty blockers to children attending gender identity clinics. The socialized healthcare service’s decision follows an independent review of gender identity services for under-18s in 2020.
Government Health Minister Maria Caulfield said, “children’s safety and wellbeing is paramount, so we welcome this landmark decision by the NHS.”
“Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion and is in the best interests of the child,” she added.
The review, led by Dr. Hilary Cass, followed a surge in children referred to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, for puberty blockers. Referrals crossed 5,000 in 2021-22, a stark increase from fewer than 250 cases as recently as a decade ago.
GIDS, which has been mired in multiple scandals and has been sued for rushing patients into life-altering transgenderism procedures, will be terminating its services by the end of this month.
Children will reportedly still be able to receive puberty blockers as part of clinical research trials, however.
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