Following on from her intervention earlier in 2021 focusing on the need for immediate support for children and young people suffering gender dysphoria, Dr Hillary Cass has once again reiterated the pressing need to strengthen the support that children and young people can access through the UKs Gender Identity Development Service.
Recognising the increasing numbers of referrals and the current polarising public narrative surrounding access to trans healthcare, Dr Cass emphasised the need to ensure that the Cass Review continues to focus firmly on how the NHS best manages the healthcare of trans and gender diverse children and young people, many of whom she highlights are in a state of extreme distress by the time they are able to access clinical support.
Furthermore, she takes the opportunity to indicate outcomes she hopes will result from the Review’s final recommendations.
If you were to ask me what good would look like at the end of the Review, I would say that we should be well on the way to building a system of care where every child and young person who is questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender incongruence is able to receive the support they need as soon as possible, so they can find the right pathway for them – Dr Hillary Cass