Sajid Javid to review ‘ideological’ gender treatment services for children

The Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, is to review what immediate changes can made to gender treatment services for children in England.

Last week in the House of Commons, Mr Javid told MPs that he thought the services in this area were ‘too affirmative and narrow’ and they ‘bordered on ideological’.

According to reports in the media, the Health Secretary is thought to be considering an overhaul of the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) which is operated by Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

In the background to this is an ongoing review of GIDS by Dr Hilary Cass, former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. An interim report has already been published.

It found a lack of expert agreement around what constitutes gender dysphoria, long waiting lists for treatment and an absence of data on the success, or otherwise, of different approaches.

Dr Cass also found that GPs felt they were under pressure to adopt an unquestioning affirmative approach to children unsure of their gender identity.

Several outlets suggested Mr Javid may allow the Cass review to access a database of children who’ve been treated by GIDS to see if any later regretted having treatments, such as puberty blockers.

Now there’s two clinics offering gender identity services to children in England. Approximately 2,500 people go to them each year, with more girls referred than boys.