UK government makes ban on puberty blockers ‘indefinite’
The original ban was introduced in May of this year as one of the final acts made by the then-ruling Conservative Party
By Gary Grimes
The Department of Health & Social Care has confirmed today that the ’emergency ban’ on prescribing puberty blockers to under-18s living with gender dysphoria will remain in place indefinitely.
The original ban was introduced in May of this year as one of the final acts made by the then-ruling Conservative Party before the dissolution of UK Parliament.
Citing advice published by the Commission on Human Medicines that there was “currently an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children,” legislation will be updated today to make the order indefinite and will be reviewed in 2027.
“Children’s healthcare must always be evidence-led,” said Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting.
“The independent expert Commission on Human Medicines found that the current prescribing and care pathway for gender dysphoria and incongruence presents an unacceptable safety risk for children and young people.
“We are working with NHS England to open new gender identity services, so people can access holistic health and wellbeing support they need. We are setting up a clinical trial into the use of puberty blockers next year, to establish a clear evidence base for the use of this medicine,” Streeting continued.
Streeting was resolute in his conclusion, stating: “We need to act with caution and care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people, and follow the expert advice.”
“Puberty blockers are powerful drugs with unproven benefits and significant risks”
The decision to suppress access to puberty blockers comes in the wake of the Cass Review into children’s gender care which was published in April 2024. The review, compiled by Dr Hilary Cass, was cautious around the use of puberty blockers.
“Puberty blockers are powerful drugs with unproven benefits and significant risks, and that is why I recommended that they should only be prescribed following a multi-disciplinary assessment and within a research protocol,” Cass said.
“I support the government’s decision to continue restrictions on the dispensing of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria outside the NHS where these essential safeguards are not being provided.”