Scottish Health Boards Temporarily Halt Puberty Blocker Prescriptions
Campaigners are pleased with the decision as it indicates that doctors now recognize the strong evidence against medical interventions for gender-confused children.
Two health boards in Scotland, including the only gender clinic in the country for children, have decided to pause the prescription of puberty blockers for new patients.
NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) announced on Thursday that the decision was influenced by the Cass Review in England and was supported by Scotland’s chief medical officer, Sir Gregor Smith.
NHSGGC is home to Scotland’s only gender clinic for under-18s—the Sandyford clinic—which also confirmed that patients aged 16 to 17 will no longer receive cross-sex hormones until they are 18.
Both boards revealed that they stopped initiating new patients on puberty blockers in mid-March, following a similar decision made by NHS England. However, current patients on puberty blockers will continue to receive them.
Dr. Emilia Crighton, the director of public health at NHSGGC, stated, “The findings from the Cass Review are significant, and we have evaluated their influence on our clinical procedures.
“Our next step is to collaborate with the Scottish Government and academic partners to produce evidence that allows us to provide safe care for our patients.”
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“We acknowledge the distress caused by gender incongruence and while all endocrinology referrals are halted, we will ensure that individuals referred to the young people gender service receive the necessary psychological support while we reassess our procedures in light of the findings,” said Dr. Crighton.
The Cass Effect
Transgender Trend commented on the decision by stating, “It is great news that Sandyford seems to be taking note of the Cass Review.”
“This is a significant change for them as they have supported irreversible treatments for children for a long time. It also contrasts with the slow response of the Scottish Parliament, which claims it still needs to evaluate the Cass report,” added the campaign group in a statement to The Epoch Times.
According to Transgender Trend, the decision made by the health boards signifies that doctors and clinicians now “understand the weight of evidence” against using medical approaches to address gender dysphoria in children.
“This reflects the impact of the Cass Review. Once individuals read and comprehend the findings, there is no justifiable reason to prescribe puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to children, as both have shown little to no benefit and have a very weak evidential basis for any advantages,” explained Transgender Trend.
The advocacy group informed The Epoch Times that these recent developments mark the “beginning of a return to reality,” and more individuals will become aware of the findings of the Cass Review, not only locally but also “internationally, as the impact of the Cass Review transcends the borders of the UK.”
Patient Safety ‘Our Priority’
The executive medical director of NHS Lothian, which serves individuals aged 17 and over at its Chalmers gender identity clinic, Dr. Tracey Gillies, referred to the Cass Review as “a significant study on how the NHS can better support children and young people with gender dysphoria.”
Dr. Gillies emphasized, “Patient safety must always be our top priority, and it is necessary for us to pause this treatment in order to conduct further research.”
Scotland’s health secretary, Neil Gray, expressed that the Scottish Government appreciates the joint statement from the two health boards, indicating that the Cass Review’s final report and conclusions are under thorough consideration by both the Scottish Government and health boards to determine the most effective way to deliver such healthcare in Scotland.
PA Media contributed to this report.
