Transgender care: doctors are advised to return to “ordinary best practice”

Doctors have been urged to return to “ordinary best practice” involving non-medicalised methods such as counselling when treating children and young people with gender dysphoria.

Speaking at the First Do No Harm conference in London on 23 March, clinical psychologist Anna Hutchinson said that the practices at the Tavistock Clinic’s child gender service where she worked until 2017 were “extraordinary.” The conference was organised by the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender (CAN-SG).

“There is no precedent for putting children on a serious medical pathway of puberty blocking drugs, cross sex hormones, and sex change surgery following a mental health diagnosis,” said Hutchinson, whose testimony about the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) led to an NHS review of the service and its closure this week.

“Clinicians know how best to help distressed children that puts them at the heart of interventions …