Trans children failed by NHS amid toxic debate on gender identity, review finds
IndependentMar 30
The Facts
Following the publication of a review by pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass on Wednesday, NHS England said it would suspend first appointments for under-18s at adult gender clinics and conduct a major review of its gender and hormone treatments.
The Cass Review — commissioned by the NHS in 2020 — found that a toxic political debate and a lack of research and "good evidence" on the use of puberty blockers had failed British children seeking gender care.
The Spin
Narrative A
Dr. Cass's review shines a spotlight on the need to develop holistic care plans for vulnerable children who are being transferred to adult services to clear the children's clinics' waiting list without question, hampering medical and scientific progress in the area. The NHS must establish fundamentally different gender identity services, free from culture wars, as children and young people seeking to manage gender-related distress have the right to be treated with compassion.
Narrative B
Though the review could be termed a watershed moment for the NHS's gender identity services, it risks stigmatizing gender-diverse children. Moreover, pausing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone therapy, and universal access to healthcare for trans youth will adversely impact the community. Dr. Cass's review should be open to interpretation as it could be used to justify new barriers to accessing mental and physical healthcare transgender people need and deserve.
