Cass Review does not guide care for trans young people

The Independent review of gender identity services for children and young people, or Cass Review (the Review), was commissioned by England's National Health Service (NHS) following increased referrals to the NHS Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), criticisms of GIDS, and the Bell v Tavistock case involving one young person who regretted gender‐affirming medical treatment (GAMT). The Review's April 2024 final report recommended that puberty suppression with gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa) should only be available to transgender (trans) adolescents in a clinical trial, which has not commenced. The United Kingdom Government subsequently prohibited the supply of GnRHa as GAMT for minors, making it unlawful for trans adolescents to commence GnRHa treatment. Other Review recommendations restrict the provision of oestrogen and testosterone for individuals over the age of 16 years, and conceptualise social affirmation of trans children as a potentially harmful intervention.