Our Gender Identity Service in the Times, Monday 8 April 2019
8 April 2019
We strongly reject the claims made in the articles in the Times. The Service always place a young person’s wellbeing at the centre of our work and have a clear position of independence from outside lobby groups on all sides of the debate.
The Service is safe and all work we undertake is commissioned and regulated by NHS England under strict guidance. The Service has a high level of reported satisfaction and was rated Good by the CQC. There is growing evidence internationally on the outcomes of pubertal suppression and sex hormones in adolescents with gender dysphoria. Thus far, there is little reported evidence of harm.
In the last 18 months the Service has worked very hard to adapt and strengthen structures and processes to accommodate a rapid expansion in the Service and a more diverse and complex patient population.
A recent Review into the Service found no immediate issues relating to patient safety and no overall failing in approach. It did make recommendations to further improve the Service, these will be implemented over the next 12 months building on the work of the Service to date.