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Wes Streeting has been accused of causing “distress and uncertainty to trans people” and failing to provide clear and transparent information on the puberty blockers trial, which is understood to be starting imminently.
Puberty blockers were banned indefinitely in the UK for under-18s in December 2024 after the Cass Review found there was insufficient evidence to show they were safe. It recommended a clinical trial to determine the effectiveness and safety of the medication.
It is understood the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) expects the trial to begin within the next few weeks and conclude in 2028.
But NHS sources told The Independent they aren’t expecting to publish any details until February – just one month before it is set to begin – leaving young people wanting to access the medication battling significant uncertainty.
While the trial protocol was expected to be published in December, with recruitment beginning in January, NHS England has postponed meetings with charities providing support to young people with gender dysphoria, leaving them unsure of when the process will start or what it will look like.
In December, health secretary Wes Streeting said the ban on giving puberty blockers to under-18s questioning their gender identity was to be made permanent (PA Wire)Trans charities and campaign groups have so far received little to no information on who will be able to participate in the trial, how they will access it and when it will start, with Stonewall urging the government to “provide certainty to an extremely vulnerable group”.
Meanwhile, Tammy Hymas, head of communications and advocacy at Mermaids, told The Independent the “severe delays and complete absence of details” on the clinical trial has “left trans youth feeling abandoned”.
With more than 5,000 young people estimated to be on the waiting list, there is growing concern among trans advocacy groups over what the trial will look like.
DHSC sources claimed it will be uncapped – meaning that there is no upper limit on the number of people who can participate – insisting that most trans teenagers will be able to get themselves onto it.
But with a waiting list more than five years long, question marks remain over how this would work in practice.
When pressed on what the criteria for the trial will be, NHS sources refused to say, insisting that further details will be published in February.
Stonewall criticised the DHSC for a lack of information, warning of “distress and uncertainty to trans people and their loved ones” (Ben Whitley/PA Wire)Meanwhile, a DHSC source stressed that they are reforming the system to ensure young people are no longer forced to spend “unacceptable time frames” on waiting lists.
There are also question marks over whether or not the trial will include a control group – a group of people that don’t take a placebo or puberty blockers.
While such a group would help establish the validity of research results, it could mean some participants cannot access the drugs.
Ms Hymas told The Independent: “Young people deserve access to the healthcare they need to be their authentic self, without being compelled to take part in research or having to wait for years for an appointment.
“With puberty blockers outside the NHS now banned and a waiting list in excess of five years, families and young people have been left with no safe, accessible or affordable options.
“The severe delays and complete absence of details for the proposed research trial that would give some young people access to puberty blockers, has left trans youth feeling abandoned by the NHS.
“We need a health service that listens to young people’s needs, and supports them, regardless of their background or their gender.”
A Stonewall spokesperson said the decision to restrict access to puberty blockers risks “undermining trust in the healthcare system and their ability to access the support they need”.
“The lack of information about the proposed NHS trial on puberty blockers has already caused distress and uncertainty to trans people and their loved ones,” the spokesperson added.
Referring to reports the trial will continue until 2028, which has not yet been communicated to Stonewall, the spokesperson said: “If these rumours are accurate, then it would be extremely concerning that the government doesn’t intend to provide certainty to an extremely vulnerable group during this Parliament.”
A DHSC spokesperson said: “For years puberty blockers were given to vulnerable young children, without proof that they were safe or effective, or the rigorous safeguards of a clinical trial. This is shameful, and we won’t apologise for putting children’s safety first.
“NHS England is working to establish a carefully controlled trial into puberty blockers – the first of its kind the world over – and will set out next steps shortly. The NHS is reforming gender identity services to ensure safe, evidence-based care for young people and has extended support to anyone affected or concerned by the banning order.”
An NHS England spokesperson said: “NHS England is working with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to establish a study and clinical trial into puberty suppression hormones. Like all proposed clinical trials, it is subject to rigorous independent review before the eligibility criteria is finalised and published, including all the usual ethical and regulatory approval requirements.”
