Puberty blockers will no longer to available to children on the NHS (Picture: EPA)
Children will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers at gender identity clinics, NHS England has confirmed.
Puberty blockers, which pause the physical changes of puberty such as breast development or facial hair, will now only be available to children as part of clinical research trials.
The Government said it welcomed the ‘landmark decision’, adding it would help ensure care is based on evidence and is in the ‘best interests of the child’.
It follows a public consultation on the issue and an interim policy, and comes after NHS England commissioned an independent review in 2020 of gender identity services for children under 18.
They are, however, still available to be prescribed privately ‘off-label’ by some medics at non-NHS-based gender clinics.
That review, led by Dr Hilary Cass, followed a sharp rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (Gids) run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, which is closing at the end of March.
In 2021/22, there were over 5,000 referrals to Gids, compared to just under 250 a decade earlier.
Fewer than 100 young people are currently on puberty blockers.
They will be able to continue their treatment and are being seen by specialist endocrine services at Leeds and University College London Hospital.
It is understood NHS England hopes to have a study into the use of puberty blockers in place by December 2024, with eligibility criteria yet to be decided.
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