More than 80 clinicians, researchers, and academics have signed an open letter expressing grave concerns about NHS England's recent evidence reviews of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) for transgender young people and the subsequent prescribing policy.
Background of the Policy Change
In March this year, NHS England launched a public consultation on their revised prescribing policy for GAHT for those under 18. Under this updated policy, gender-affirming hormones are no longer accessible before the age of 18, representing yet another sweeping withdrawal of gender-affirming care for trans youth, on top of a national puberty blocker ban and the continuing suspension of the planned puberty blocker trial.
The Open Letter
The 85 signatories to the open letter, addressed to National Medical Director for Specialised Services James Palmer, draw attention to how this decision was founded upon a series of evidence reviews commissioned by NHS England. The letter claims these reviews have no clear rationale, ignore previous and ongoing research already commissioned by NHS England, fail to follow typical standards of peer-reviewed research, are underpinned by a deeply flawed methodology, misreport key findings, and still do not justify NHS England's urgent withdrawal of gender-affirming care.
The recent BMA investigation into the Cass Review raises concerns not only with the Cass Review itself, but also with the Government's and NHS England's considerable overreach in relation to recommendations and their implementation. This open letter presents further evidence of precisely this pattern of excessive intervention, with vital care being removed from young transgender patients without any transparent justification or evidence-based reasoning, and for what seem to be purely political and ideological motives.
Call to Action
The letter's signatories are calling on NHS England to halt and reverse the rollout of this policy shift, recognise and take into account previous and current commissioned research in this field, ensure the clinical commissioning policy aligns with established international best practice, and include patient and clinician consensus and testimony in any decisions regarding transgender healthcare.
The Mirror has reached out to NHS England and James Palmer for comment. It comes after LGBTQ+ charities have shared their hopes and demands amid further restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare for young people. TransActual and nine fellow LGBTQ+ youth advocacy organisations had written to former Health Secretary Wes Streeting before his resignation, urging him to reverse course — to stop aligning himself with anti-trans campaigners and begin listening to the trans young people affected by his decisions.
Now, some of the signatories of the letter have shared their hopes for the new Health Secretary and call on him to engage with and listen hard to trans people.
Government Response
In response to the calls, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson confirmed they were consulting with the public and stakeholders about how these services should operate in the best interests of children and young people. They said: 'The NHS is for everyone, and we are committed to ensuring that transgender people receive high-quality holistic care. This government will continue to be led by evidence on gender services, and the safety of children and young people always comes first. The Secretary of State will listen to and engage with a diverse number of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience in his role.'
If you have been affected by this story, contact Mindline Trans+'s emotional and mental health support helpline for anyone identifying as trans, non-binary, gender variant, and their families, friends, colleagues and carers. Their phone line is open Mondays and Fridays, 8pm to midnight. Ring 0300 330 5468.
