SNP to reject calls to shut ‘tartan Tavistock’ child gender clinic
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The SNP will reject calls to shut Scotland’s “tartan Tavistock” child gender clinic, one of Humza Yousaf’s health ministers has said.
Maree Todd also insisted Scottish clinicians prescribing controversial drugs such as puberty blockers were following “very high standards”.
The minister said there would be no “snap judgement” over possible reforms but appeared to rule out wholesale changes to child gender services north of the border, suggesting many parts of the damning Cass report for NHS England did not apply to Scotland.
She also admitted that trans rights activists with no medical training, some of whom have already denounced aspects of Dr Cass’s findings, could be given a formal role as part of a Scottish Government “review” of the work.
The SNP has faced demands to immediately suspend the use of puberty blockers, after Hilary Cass, the paediatrician, last week warned the drugs were potentially dangerous and said there was little credible evidence of their effectiveness.
The Scottish Government is also under pressure to order a wider overhaul of child gender services, with experts such as David Bell, the Tavistock whistleblower, calling for the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow to be shut down.
However, Ms Todd, a former children’s minister, said “no” when asked by The Telegraph whether the closure of the Sandyford, Scotland’s only specialist child gender clinic, was an option.
“The Scottish Government will look very carefully at every recommendation that the Cass Review has made and will decide how that applies to the Scottish system and make decisions accordingly,” Ms Todd said.
“It’s really important to understand it’s not politicians who make prescribing decisions, it’s clinicians.
“I am comfortable that clinicians in Scotland are practising to a very high standard. So we will learn what we can from the Cass Review but clinical practice in Scotland is very good.”
The Sandyford has been branded the “tartan Tavistock” as its critics say it follows the same “affirmative” treatment model as the London clinic which closed in scandal.
The Scottish clinic’s methods are based on American guidelines denounced by Dr Cass as “lacking developmental rigour” and it is continuing to refer children for possible prescription of puberty blockers.
‘Not routine’
Almost 100 children aged 16 or under were referred to endocrinologists for possible puberty blocker prescriptions by the Sandyford between 2016 and 2023.
The youngest known patient placed on the drugs, which can permanently disrupt brain function, growth and bone density, after being seen at the Scottish clinic was aged just nine.
However, Ms Todd claimed puberty blockers “were never routinely prescribed” in Scotland.
Asked whether pro-gender affirmation activist groups would have a role in the Scottish Government review of Dr Cass’s findings, she refused to confirm they would have a “seat at the table” but insisted involving those with “lived experience” was good practice.
“Clinical networks usually include people with lived experience,” Ms Todd said.
“It will be down to those networks to decide the influence and the role that they play, but it would be very unwise to proceed without hearing from the people who are likely to be impacted by the service that’s delivered.”
‘Deafening silence’
The National Gender Identity Clinical Network for Scotland already includes representatives from the activist groups Stonewall, LGBT Health, LGBT Youth Scotland and Scottish Trans.
Scottish Trans has already denounced aspects of Dr Cass’s review, saying it was concerned that she presented children transitioning to live as a member of the opposite sex as a “last resort”.
Meghan Gallacher, deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, accused Ms Todd of attempting to “duck pressing questions” amid a “deafening silence” from the SNP on the Cass Review.
“Despite huge question marks over the efficacy of puberty blockers, the SNP Government will not even put a pause on them being prescribed”, Ms Gallacher said.
“Scotland’s parents and vulnerable young people need a clear and decisive response to Cass, yet Maree Todd indicated both that the can is being kicked down the road by the SNP in terms of a Scottish response and, concerningly, that partisan activist groups will be involved in that review.”
