Experimental puberty blockers still offered to children in Scotland

Gender-confused children continue to be offered puberty-blocking drugs at Scotland’s gender identity clinic, despite NHS England introducing a ban for under-18s.

In response to NHS England’s decision, the Scottish Government said it would monitor planned clinical trials on puberty blockers south of the border and that “discussions are ongoing to determine what future engagement is appropriate”.

However, the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow still advises children that they may be assessed “to consider if puberty blockers would be helpful”, despite admitting “more and better quality research” is needed on their benefits and safety.

Ideological capture

NHS England recently announced an end to the ‘routine commissioning’ of puberty blockers for children on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence to support their safe or effective use. The change was prompted by criticism of clinical practice at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust’s Gender Identity Development Service in an independent review by Dr Hilary Cass.

Writing in The Times, columnist Alex Massie questioned why “the official line in Scotland continues to be that concerns in England mysteriously evaporate as soon as they cross the border”.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr David Bell, who was among those exposing dangerous practices at the Tavistock, concluded that “gender medicine has been captured by ideology in Scotland”, blanking out “ordinary canons of scientific argument”.

“Are we expected to believe that Scottish children are not like English children, that they have different endocrinology and physiology, and that therefore scientific evidence of this sort does not apply to them?”

WPATH

Further controversy arose last week after a job advertisement for a clinical lead at Glasgow’s controversial clinic stated that the Sandyford followed the latest guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

In 2022, the global pro-trans group lowered minimum age recommendations for sex-swap drugs and surgery in its ‘best practice’ guidelines.

It has also been reported that documents from WPATH contain shocking admissions of the harmful effects of ‘trans-affirming care’, including an acknowledgment of a likely connection between cross-sex hormones and cancer.

‘Wild West’

Trina Budge, Director of campaign group For Women Scotland, said: “This advertisement for a senior post shows the Sandyford is following extreme guidelines from an organisation that has been completely discredited.”

She continued: “Lobbying groups have been allowed to push medical quackery to children and young people, aided by activist clinicians writing up treatment rules not backed by any evidence.

“Children deserve better and, at some point, someone is going to have to take responsibility for the harm caused. This gender clinic is being run like the Wild West and it is now time for the Chief Medical Officer to step in.”

According to The Daily Telegraph, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – which runs the Sandyford – declined to comment on the advert.