Doctors' union drop opposition to controversial transgender review - except for one key ban

The British Medical Association has dropped its opposition to the findings of the Cass review of gender identity services across the NHS. The British Medical Association (BMA) - a trade union representing doctors across the UK - had previously rejected the findings in their landmark review of trans healthcare , saying its findings were "unsubstantiated". The Cass Review , published in April 2024 and conducted by Dr Hilary Cass, found that children and young people were let down by a lack of research and evidence on medical interventions, adding that NHS gender medicine was "built on shaky foundations." Dr Cass also advocated for "extreme caution" in administering gender-affirming hormone treatments, along with a "clear clinical rationale for providing hormones at this stage rather than waiting until an individual reaches 18". Now, the chair of the BMA’s board of science and the new report’s lead author, Professor David Strain, has praised Dr Cass' approach and has said that he couldn’t highlight a single recommendation of the 32 included in the Cass report that the BMA opposed. He told The Times : "She approached an area of significant uncertainty with that prime rule of medicine, of ‘first, do no harm'." However, the BMA are "continuing to oppose a ban on puberty blockers , not least because it is a threat to the autonomy of a doctor", but also because they believe the government's ban went beyond Cass's recommendations. In their report , they said: "We spend decades training on how to use drugs, and to have a political decision affecting the way we prescribe is wrong." Strain added that specialists should be able to prescribe the drugs, but they should not be "freely available". The Mirror has approached NHS England for comment. In March, the NHS halted gender-affirming hormone treatment for 16 and 17-year-olds. The therapy, which involves the prescription of masculinising or feminising hormones , was previously accessible on the NHS for 16 and 17-year-olds diagnosed with gender dysphoria who met specific criteria. However, new referrals have since been suspended. Now, there is currently no way for transgender youths in the UK to get puberty blockers. The medication is sometimes prescribed to cisgender children to treat issues such as precocious puberty. Such hormones can trigger irreversible alterations, including breast growth from taking oestrogen, or voice deepening as a result of testosterone intake.