NHS England has announced plans to establish up to six new specialist regional centres by 2026, aimed at providing tailored gender services for young people.
This development follows the recommendations of the Cass Review, a comprehensive report by Dr Hilary Cass published in April this year.
Two new NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services, which are led by Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, have already begun operations.
Moving forward, the NHS is set to appoint up to four additional specialist centres, with the next service in Bristol scheduled to become operational by November 2024 and a service for the East of England planned for 2024/2025.
Each new service will be overseen by a designated paediatrician or psychiatrist responsible for patient safety, as they implement a new clinical model based on evidence.
The services will offer an assessment of the wider health and care needs of young people referred to them.
In alignment with further advice from the final report of Cass Review, the NHS has confirmed that all new referrals to specialist gender services must be made through mental health or paediatric services, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of each child or young person's needs.
The NHS noted that the newly released documents highlight the scope for additional research, echoing Dr Cass's key recommendations, to evaluate various approaches and enhance patient care.
Subject to academic approval, a clinical trial investigating the benefits and risks of puberty-suppressing hormones for young people is expected to start in early 2025.
In conjunction with the focus on services for young people, the NHS has also revealed plans to review adult gender services.
This review will assess the current services’ appropriateness and stability, led by Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB medical director Dr David Levy as an independent chair.
It will also include input from expert clinicians, representatives from Royal Colleges and professional bodies, and patients, with its findings set to inform an updated adult gender service specification for public consultation.
Cass said: “The vision of the [Cass] Review – reflected in the implementation plan – is to increase available services for gender-questioning young people which take a holistic approach to care addressing the needs of each individual, and which put in place a full package of care which can be delivered as close to home as possible.
“Setting up a new collaborative of regional providers will also bring in leaders from professional societies, education, and research, to ensure these services continue to develop in line with evidence and best practice to support children and young people.”
