According to reports, the UK government will launch an investigation into how the NHS treats people under the age of 18 who question their gender identity.
Health Minister Sajid Javid is said to be concerned that vulnerable children are receiving sex hormone treatment before alternatives are explored, according to the Times, and plans to overhaul services.
This comes after an interim report published last month by the Cass Review, an independent review of NHS gender identity services for children and young people.
The review says that services have “evolved quickly and organically” in response to increased demand, but this means that they “have not been subjected to some of the normal quality controls” that are commonly applied in new treatments.
It added that there was “a lack of consensus and open discussion on the nature of sexual dysphoria and therefore on the appropriate clinical response”.
Javid is said to have compared political sensitivity to treating young people with gender dysphoria to those who obstructed investigations into Rotherham’s haircut gangs.
Asked about the issue in the Municipality this week, Javid said that the Cass Review’s interim findings have already shown that NHS services are “too narrow … too affirmative and in fact … bordering on ideological”.
“Therefore, in this emerging field, we must, of course, be absolutely sensitive, but we must be sure that there is comprehensive care provided, that there is no one-way street and that all medical interventions are based on the best clinical evidence.” , he said.
There is currently only one specialized service, the Gender Identity Development Office, managed by the Tavistock Foundation and Portman NHS, which provides gender identity services for children and young people.
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The service receives about 2,500 children a year, about 200 of whom receive some form of hormonal treatment.
In September, the Court of Appeals upheld the trust’s right to give puberty-blocking drugs to people under the age of 16 who are deemed mature enough to give informed consent.
The report notes that the lack of “routine and consistent” data on who is being targeted for treatment means that “it is not possible to trace exactly” the results.
A spokesman for the trust told the Times: “Respect for one’s identity does not preclude research.
“We agree that support should be comprehensive, based on the best available evidence, and that no assumptions should be made about the right outcome for any young person.”
The Guardian asked the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for comment.
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