BMA calls for 'pause' to implementation of Cass Review recommendations

Prof Philip Banfield. Credit: BMA

By Sarah Lowden

The British Medical Association has called for a "pause" to the implementation of the recommendations of the Cass Review – the independent report on gender identity services for children and young people.

The union has announced it is to carry out an evaluation of the review, which was published earlier this year.

It follows concerns raised by doctors about "weaknesses" in the methodologies used in the review.

A ‘task and finish’ group is being established by the BMA’s chair of council Professor Philip Banfield.

The Cass Review's report concluded there are conflicting views about the clinical approach, with expectations of care at times being far from usual clinical practice, and that this has made some clinicians "fearful" of working with gender-questioning young people.

It said the rationale for early puberty suppression "remained unclear", with weak evidence regarding the impact on gender dysphoria, mental or psychosocial health.

Following the review, the former Conservative health secretary Victoria Atkins brought in an emergency ban on private prescribing of puberty blockers - a decision which was recently backed by the new health secretary, Labour's Wes Streeting.