The Cass review into young people’s gender identity services was conducted by Dr Hilary Cass. The selection process was not transparent, as Dr Cass had no prior experience of working with trans people, and even before the review it was alleged that she was biased and that she opposed young people transitioning.1
This review has been criticised by academics, practitioners and young people’s gender identity services in other countries due to flaws in the process and the data considered.2 Despite this, the UK Government have used the report as justification to permanently ban puberty blockers for trans children (and only trans children – cis gender children experiencing early puberty can still access the same drugs), despite their being used in this country for around 20 years with no evidence of harm. These drugs allow a pause in puberty to allow a young person to work out what’s right for them. Without them, trans young people are forced through irreversible physical changes they will often find acutely distressing, many of which they’ll be stuck with for life.
Even if parents, doctors and young people agree puberty blockers are the right choice for them, they cannot access them. All the NHS now offers them is conversion practices.3 In the year since this has been imposed, there is evidence that it is harming young transgender children.4
Trans young people are also no longer allowed to update their GP record to reflect their gender.5
- https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/08/10/hilary-cass-recommended-book-to-former-colleagues/ ↩︎
- https://ruthpearce.net/2024/04/16/whats-wrong-with-the-cass-review-a-round-up-of-commentary-and-evidence/ ↩︎
- https://transsafety.network/posts/nothing-to-offer-training-materials-new-nhs-cyp-gender-services-serious-questions-conversion-practices/. ↩︎
- https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2025.2521699 ↩︎
- NHS banned from changing trans children’s gender on medical records ↩︎
Trans Collective Calderdale 