Children are waiting two years for vital gender treatment as the numbers locked on waiting lists grow

Children under the age of five are among the growing number of young people awaiting gender care treatment as the NHS works to clear a patient backlog.

The number of children waiting for treatment in England and Wales has increased by 12% in a year, with 6,225 now on the national waiting list, up from 5,560 the year before.

Wanted her to suffer pain’: Man admits to stabbing woman to death with metal pen at bus stop, according to police

There are 157 children under the age of ten, with up to ten under the age of five. Waiting times for a child’s first appointment at a specialist clinic have increased to more than two years on average.

One expert warned that children need help “before they reach crisis point,” with statistics indicating that “demand is outpacing supply.”

Professor James Palmer, the NHS medical director for specialised services, responded to the latest figures, saying he understands it “can be really difficult” for children and their families to wait to be seen.

F— you’: Father has choice words for cops after being captured at arcade a week after 3-year-old discovered abandoned near the woods streets from his home, according to deputies

TransActual, a charity that supports trans people, reported “unacceptably high” waiting list figures.

Two new gender care services led by London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) and Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital will open in April 2024, following the closure of the UK’s dedicated gender identity clinic, run by the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust, in March.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), a third service has since opened in Bristol, and another is planned for the East of England “later this spring”. The goal is to eventually have up to eight specialist children’s gender clinics covering all seven NHS regions in England.

Mom’s ‘corporal punishment’ severed 6-year-old’s liver, eventually killing the child: Police

Waiting times were labeled “unacceptable” by health secretary Wes Streeting last year, recognizing the “enormous distress” they can cause.

Waiting times for a first appointment have also increased, to an average of 116 weeks at the end of March, up from 100 weeks at the end of May last year, according to a Freedom of Information request made by the Press Association.

There is no minimum age requirement for gender care, and the NHS previously stated that it wants to ensure that parents of very young children receive support as needed, with some children under the age of five seeking assistance.

Dr. Roman Raczka, president of the British Psychological Society, stated, “It is critical that children, young people, and their families receive the professional care and support they require before they reach crisis point.”

“Demand currently exceeds supply. This contributes to a number of broader challenges confronting children’s and young people’s services, necessitating additional investment.”

Chay Brown, operations director for TransActual UK, stated, “Trans and gender-questioning children and young people have to wait years for NHS support.

“At that point, the majority of the people on the waiting list will have reached the age limit. Sadly, some will have died while waiting; waiting times for NHS gender services have been cited in several reports on preventing future deaths.”

Following last year’s Cass Review, which concluded that children had been let down by a lack of research and evidence on medical interventions in gender care, NHS England announced a new plan that requires new referrals to clinics to first be seen by a GP, mental health specialist, or paediatrician.

Some 250 patients transferred from the Gender Identity Development Service have been seen by new services, and it is believed that each of the new clinics will see 25 patients per month.

According to the Cass Review’s recommendations, the health service will shift from a “medical model” to a “holistic” approach to children’s gender care, with guidance expected to be published later this month.

According to leaked plans from last month, children with gender dysphoria will now be tested for neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Prof Palmer stated, “We understand how difficult it can be for children, young people, and their families who are waiting to be seen by our new holistic gender services, which is why it has been critical that we put in place a new system to ensure that, while they are waiting, they can access mental health support if they require it.

“The NHS is now almost halfway through its planned expansion of regional services, and we are seeing significantly fewer referrals as children are first assessed by paediatric or mental health experts and provided with care in NHS services that are more appropriate to their needs.”

Puberty blockers are no longer prescribed to children on the NHS for the treatment of gender dysphoria, following a year-long ban that was made permanent in December.

Plans are still in place to conduct a clinical trial on their use this year, though no patients have yet been recruited and ethical and regulatory approval is being sought.

A DHSC spokesperson stated, “We are collaborating with NHS England to reform children’s gender services in accordance with the Cass review recommendations, in order to provide children with timely, comprehensive support.”

“We have opened three new gender services for children and young people, with a fourth set to open later this spring. These new services will increase clinical capacity while decreasing wait times, allowing patients to be seen sooner and closer to home.”

SOURCE