Thread by @DHSCgovuk

A THREAD:

We are committed to ensuring children and young people who are questioning their gender receive safe and high-quality care. This is a thread about NHS guidance issued this week for GPs, correcting any misinformation.

1/11

Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led. The ban on the routine prescribing of puberty blockers follows the both the Cass Review and the recommendations of the independent Commission on Human Medicines, which called the practice an “unacceptable safety risk”.

2/11

The NHS has published guidance to healthcare workers highlighting examples of inappropriate and unsafe prescribing of puberty blockers and hormones to children and young people from unregulated providers, like those abroad.

3/11

The guidance makes clear that GPs should not be asked to support inappropriate prescribing with unregulated providers and follows a request from GPs.

4/11

However, GPs should continue to provide care and arrange for blood tests and other tests when there are concerns the child or young person is at risk of harm, for example, suspected blood clots. It is misinformative to suggest otherwise.

5/11

The advice in the guidance is in step with the other actions we have taken to protect children through the ban on puberty blockers.

6/11

The safety of children and young people is our overriding priority. We will continue our work to implement all recommendations from Dr Cass’s review so children and young people get the holistic care they need.

7/11

NHS England have already opened three new children and young people's gender services and is making progress to establishing a service in every region of England by 2026.

8/11

In July 2024, Professor Louis Appleby published an independent review of suicides and gender dysphoria at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

9/11

It concluded the data do not support the claim that there has been a large rise in suicide in young gender dysphoria patients at the Tavistock. It is false to suggest this.

10/11

The review also noted 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.

11/11