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TransActual will not appeal puberty blocker case

After careful consideration of the judge’s verdict in the puberty blocker ban case earlier this week, TransActual will not be appealing the judge’s decision to back the decision of the Health Secretary.

As we have previously made clear, we think this is a bad decision, based on sub-standard research (the Cass Review). This is not just our view, but that of significant bodies with expertise in this area (the BMA and Yale School of Medicine: see below).

The decision also cements into law a highly dangerous precedent that gives the Secretary of State for Health near carte blanche to ban drugs for any minority group, just so long as they have first set up an inquiry to report in line with their personal beliefs.

In respect of the Appeal, Health Director, Chay Brown said today: “The ban remains discriminatory. It is an outright attack on young trans people, and a clear declaration that trans lives matter less than cis ones.

It is ill-founded – particularly in light of the BMA response – and we urge the DHSC to reconsider its position. Politicians and civil servants inserting themselves into medical decisions is an awful precedent.

However, we have limited funding, and we need to think carefully about the best way to make use of what funds we have.

Any appeal would have been unlikely to be heard in a timely manner, and almost certainly not before the temporary ban expires in early September. At that point, the key question will be whether the Health Secretary reinstates the ban. If he does, then we will be there: providing support to those affected; and fighting on the side of young trans people and their families.”

Further Information

For further information, contact jane fae at press@transactual.org.uk

Yale Medical School response to Cass Review:

“Unfortunately, the Review repeatedly misuses data and violates its own evidentiary standards by resting many conclusions on speculation. Many of its statements and the conduct of the York SRs reveal profound misunderstandings of the evidence base and the clinical issues at hand.”

BMA Motion on Cass Review:

“Following the publication of the Cass Review on Gender Identity Services for children and young people, this meeting is concerned about its impact on transgender healthcare provision because of its unsubstantiated recommendations driven by unexplained study protocol deviations, ambiguous eligibility criteria, and exclusion of trans-affirming evidence.”

The BMA has also now called for a pause on implementation of Cass and are putting in place their own review of the Cass Review.

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