Northern Ireland to follow NHS England’s ban on puberty blockers for under-18s

Northern Ireland is set to end the ‘routine prescription’ of puberty blockers to gender-confused young people.

Speaking during a meeting of Stormont’s Health Committee, Health Minister Robin Swann told Diane Dodds MLA he intends to follow NHS England’s decision to restrict under-18s’ access to the drugs.

Last week, NHS England announced that there is “not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness” of giving puberty-suppressing drugs to gender-confused children.

‘Uncertainties’

Swann also told the Belfast News Letter: “I welcome the clarity provided by NHS England, in confirming that children will not be routinely prescribed puberty suppressing hormones at gender identity clinics.

“This followed a public consultation and a review of available evidence by NICE. I believe this review will be carefully considered in relation to services provided across the UK including Northern Ireland.”

Dr Hilary Cass’s interim review of clinical practice at the Tavistock clinic in London highlighted significant “uncertainties” surrounding such usage of the experimental drugs.

For example, the drugs threaten future fertility, possibly brain development, and likely result in decreased bone mineralisation (meaning a higher risk of fractures).

Scotland

But in Scotland, gender-confused children will continue to be offered puberty-blocking drugs while the Scottish Government discusses “what future engagement is appropriate”.

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.

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?”