The High Court ruling in the case between QUINCY BELL & MRS A v The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is deeply concerning and alarming. It is a potentially serious setback to young people seeking access to puberty blockers.
Puberty blockers have been used for a long time with great benefit. This medication is used routinely, under licence, in cases of precocious puberty in younger children, Currently, before accessing medical intervention, the competency of patients under 16 years of age must be established. In the UK, competency is assumed from age 16, and young people under that age are required to be ‘Gillick competent’. This is achieved by…