- More than 5,700 under-18s in England and Wales are waiting to be seen
- Great Ormond Street Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital are two centres
- They replaced the scandal-hit Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
At least one child under the age of five has been put on a waiting list for NHS transgender care, it has emerged.
More than 5,700 under-18s in England and Wales are currently waiting to be treated at two specialist centres, which became operational last April.
The clinics, based at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, replaced the scandal-hit Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
While a total of 236 patients have been accepted into Tavistock’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), data released under Freedom of Information requests revealed thousands more children are waiting for appointments.
Among them is at least one child under the age of five, despite NHS proposals that no child under the age of seven should be referred for any gender-based treatment.
Dr Hilary Cass said the length of the waiting list to access gender services had “significant implications” for children and their families.
London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of two hospitals that replaced the scandal-hit Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
Of the 127 patients transferred from Gids to Great Ormond Street’s gender service, all had been brought together for a first appointment by the end of May.
Alder Hey said the 109 patients transferred from Gids to its gender service were due to be seen for a first appointment between its opening and June 30.
A public consultation by NHS England for the service specifications of the two clinics previously stated that children under seven should not be referred for treatment.
She said: ‘To date there has been no minimum age threshold and children have been referred to Tavistock GIDS as young as 4 years old.
‘For some people, this seems too early and they are concerned that it may lead to unnecessary and inappropriate referrals.
‘For the purposes of this consultation, a minimum age threshold of 7 years is proposed for referral to the service, as from that age children may have further developed their cognitive, comprehension and communication skills.’
NHS England has committed to transforming its gender identity services following the publication of the landmark Cass Review in April this year.
The review concluded that children receiving NHS transgender treatment had been put on a path to irreversible change despite scant medical data.
Dr Hilary Cass said the length of the waiting list to access gender services had “significant implications” for children and their families.
Alder Hey said the 109 patients transferred from Gids to its gender service were scheduled to be seen for a first appointment between its opening and June 30.
She recommended a “holistic and personal” model of care, potentially comprising a wide range of interventions and services, including pediatric and mental health services.
An NHS spokesperson said: ‘We know that children, young people and their families are worried and distressed about the time it can take to access treatment and support from gender services.
‘NHS England is making good progress in implementing the Cass Review recommendations – it is expanding services with two new specialist centres opening in April and more to follow – and we will shortly be setting out more detailed plans for how all the Cass Review recommendations will be implemented to transform care delivery in gender-sensitive services.’
