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The ability to consent to hormone suppressants was the subject of a judicial review between 2020 and 2022. Read more about this judicial review.
The decision to have any kind of healthcare treatment always involves weighing up the potential benefits and risks involved. For hormone blockers, this includes reflecting on the limited scientific evidence base for their use in this context.
As part of ensuring good quality decision making, we carry out an in-depth clinical review before any onward referral, including to an endocrine clinic. All patients undergo a thorough clinical review in GIDS (called a ‘Multi-Disciplinary Clinical Review’) to help assess their suitability for the treatment and to assure patients they are being fully supported.
The process for accessing treatments depends on the age of the young person:
New referrals to endocrinology services were temporarily paused following the December 2020 judgment but have since resumed.
We recognise the work we do is complex and, working with our partners, we are committed to continually improve the quality of care and decision-making for our patients and to strengthen the evidence base in this developing area of care.
We also continue to work with Dr Hilary Cass whose independent review is examining the best future model of care for children and young people’s gender identity services: https://cass.independent-review.uk/.
GIDS patients and their parent(s) or caregiver(s) can contact GIDS with any further questions or concerns. Write to gids@tavi-port.nhs.uk or gidsleedsadmin@tavi-port.nhs.uk.
Please email in the first instance if possible. If you are not able to email, please call 020 8938 2030 (London) or 0113 247 1955 (Leeds).
The NHS is here to support you. You can speak to anyone on your care team about your needs, for example, your GP, your paediatric or medical team, your mental health team, or children’s social care. These professionals are also very welcome to contact either our team or the Tavistock for further advice in how best they can help you.
Local mental health services have a 24/7 crisis line that you can call. You can find this by typing the name of your local area and “CAMHS mental health crisis number” into any search engine, and your local number should come up.
If you need urgent mental health support or advice, visit: https://nhs.uk/urgentmentalhealth. This website can tell you which NHS organisations can help you in your area, including 24/7 crisis support, or you can text SHOUT to 85258
Further mental health and wellbeing advice is also available from the places below:
Every Mind Matters for young people and parents/carershttps://nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters
Youngmindshttps://youngminds.org.uk/find-help
MindEd for Familieshttps://mindedforfamilies.org.uk
Parents can also call the YoungMinds parents helpline:0808 802 5544, 9.30am to 4pm on weekdays
You may also wish to access support from local trans groups and charities.