Children To No Longer Be Prescribed Puberty Blockers In U.K

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 of gender identity services for children under 18 in 2020.

The review followed a sharp rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) - a specialised service for young people who experience difficulties in the development of their gender identity - run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, which is closing at the end of March following repeated scrutiny.

In 2021/22, there were more than 5,000 referrals to GIDS, compared to just under 250 a decade earlier.