BMA under fire for promoting trans ideology at children’s expense

The British Medical Association must stop promoting the “twisted logic of extreme trans ideology”, a journalist has warned.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Ella Whelan criticised the professional body for doctors for opposing the landmark Cass Review and pushing for recent restrictions on puberty blockers to be scrapped.

Last week, the High Court upheld the previous Government’s temporary ban on prescribing puberty blockers to gender-confused children in Great Britain. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he will permanently extend the ban after it expires on 3 September.

‘Playing politics’

Whelan urged the BMA to concentrate on its role as a doctors’ union, instead of “trying to curry favour with trans activists by playing politics”.

She stated: “The twisted logic of extreme trans ideology – that asserts the fiction that sex isn’t real and all your problems can be solved by mutilating your body – has been adopted by too many working in healthcare. The ban on puberty blockers was informed by science and experts.

“But there is a broader political battle to be won by those of us not in white coats – one for truth, and the protection of our children.”

‘Disgrace’

In a letter to The Times, consultant psychiatrist Dawn Black said she has resigned her BMA membership and expects that many others will do the same.

She explained: “The Cass report finally brought scientific rigour to the highly politicised and toxic debate on this matter. For the BMA to dismiss science in favour of wokery is an absolute disgrace.”

Consultant surgeon Professor Jonathan Beard agreed, urging “all members who believe in evidence-based medicine to cancel their membership, especially if they want to protect children from these quacks”.

The Times reported that dozens of leading doctors have signed an open letter criticising the BMA for “going against the principles of evidence-based medicine and against ethical practice”.”

NHS

When the BMA announced its position, the NHS said it had “full confidence” in the Cass Review, and the Department of Health said that the recommendations are “firmly grounded in evidence”.

A Health Department spokesperson stated: “NHS England will be implementing Dr Cass’s recommendations so that children and young people get the safe, holistic care and support they need. We do not support a delay to vital improvements from the NHS to gender services.”

In April, Dr Hilary Cass’s review of child gender services in England concluded that giving trans drugs to children is based on “remarkably weak evidence”.

She urged the NHS to review its use of cross-sex hormones and ensure that gender-confused children receive a holistic assessment of all their needs. But the report left open the possibility of drugs for whom it is “clinically indicated”.