The announcement of an NHS review into healthcare for trans adults causes us great concern. We have seen how the Cass Review has been misrepresented and misused to severely restrict healthcare for a few thousand trans young people, even though the review is deeply flawed.
We have been calling for significant reform in how the NHS delivers trans healthcare. The call for reform is nothing new – similar solutions have been proposed since the 1970s
We are concerned that the focus will be on the legitimacy and efficacy of medication instead of improving healthcare and reducing waiting lists for consenting adults. We are also concerned that the lived experience of tens of thousands of people and the wealth of international evidence and best practice will all be ignored.
We have many questions. What qualifies Dr David Levy to lead the review? What was the recruitment process? What involvement will Dr Hilary Cass have?
Once again we have a review that the service users have not asked for, which risks being manipulated by the same bigoted actors within the NHS, media and parliament into a further attack on a level of service provision that is already unfit for purpose. .
We will be seeking further answers, and pushing to ensure that the mistakes of the Cass Review are not repeated.
Further Information
For further information, contact jane fae at press@transactual.org.uk
TransActual is a member of the Trans Healthcare Coalition, which was created to provide a collective and coordinated effort to engage with and respond to the recent NHS review of its Adult Gender Dysphoria Services.