Health Secretary vows to close loopholes for private and online sex providers

Health Secretary vows to work to close loopholes that could allow online providers to prescribe hormones to children who are questioning their gender, condemning ‘morally and medically reprehensible’ conduct did.

Victoria Atkins suggested the government could legislate to ban young people from accessing prescriptions for gender-blocking drugs in private clinics or online.

The MP insisted there was “nothing wrong” with ensuring private and online providers were not able to “circumvent the rules” following the publication of the long-awaited Cass review into children’s gender services in the NHS.

The report concludes that children are being let down by a lack of research and evidence on the use of puberty blockers and hormones, making the debate extremely harmful. There is.

In a review published last week, Dr Hilary Cass said: “We understand and share the concerns about the use of unregulated medicines and unregulated healthcare providers in the UK.”

Her report said: ‘Clinicians should not prescribe beyond their capacity and GPs should not prescribe beyond their capacity, particularly where private healthcare providers are acting outside the scope of NHS guidance. Pharmacists should not expect to enter into collaborative care agreements with other people,” he said, warning that pharmacists “have a responsibility to:” Ensures that the medication prescribed to the patient is appropriate. ”

The review also said GPs had raised concerns about pressure from private healthcare providers to prescribe hormones to patients after they had first given them to patients.

In March, NHS England confirmed that gender identity clinics outside of clinical research trials will no longer prescribe puberty blockers to children, and following the Cath review, the health service will no longer prescribe puberty blockers to children outside of clinical research trials. announced that they had agreed to review the use of masculinizing or feminizing hormones in the form of masculinizing hormones. Estrogen for children from 16 years.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Mr Atkins said he shared concerns that “clinicians who espouse gender ideologies will seek to use private healthcare providers to circumvent the rules”.

He said gender clinics that prescribe hormone blockers or cross-sex hormones to people under the age of 16 “may be committing very serious regulatory breaches, which could result in the loss of their license or the removal of their doctor’s license.” “You may be fired,” he warned.

Mr Atkins added that Department of Health and Social Care officials had asked health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to “review the age criteria in licensing conditions”.

She told MPs in the House of Commons: “It is morally and medically reprehensible that some online providers who are not registered in the UK have announced their intention to continue issuing prescriptions to children in this country. “I am considering carefully what we can do to curb such incidents.” Loopholes in prescribing practices, including legislative options.

“There is nothing wrong with that. I will keep this work on track and report back to the House appropriately.”

The Health Secretary also confirmed that all seven adult gender clinics – six of which had refused to take part in the study alongside the Cass Review – have since agreed to “co-operate fully”.

She told MPs that the initial refusal was “deplorable” and a “neglect of professional duty”.

She added: “Following the publication of Dr Cass’s report, I can update the House that all seven clinical leaders in adult gender services have been informed that they intend to participate fully in this important research. I’m happy,” he added.

The study was supposed to include the work of around 9,000 young people who had migrated from society.
The Tavistock Trust’s Gender Identity Development Service (Gids) is currently closed and has been introduced to the NHS Adult Gender Dysphoria Clinic.

Dr Cass said this was a “world-leading opportunity” to add to the evidence base, but what her report revealed is severely lacking in the field of gender care.

Ms Atkins also appeared to downplay calls for a public inquiry into what happened in children’s gender care.

In response to suggestions from MPs that it might be necessary, she told the House of Commons her focus was on implementing the report’s recommendations and ensuring services were brought up to standard standards. .