update about what's going on in the UK right now
Puberty blockers for trans kids were banned in 2024. The average wait time to get gender affirming care with the NHS is over 5 years long. Families are being reported to social services for supporting their trans kids. In the last month, things have gotten much worse.
The NHS recently banned new HRT prescriptions for patients under 18, the minimum age used to be 16. I recommend reading this article, which explains very well how the NHS is ignoring clear research which proves that this new policy will cause a lot of harm. The amount of research done on trans healthcare is low, yet they excluded 97% of studies and claimed that there is 'insufficient evidence' that HRT works for trans youth.
The NHS also recently updated their guidance about hormone medication for minors. In this update, they are telling GPs to refuse shared care*, and they advise that "a GP should always be prepared to refer their patient for an appropriate non-routine investigation under an NHS contract" if they find out a trans kid is using puberty blockers or HRT. An INVESTIGATION.
In this update, they specifically warn against Anne Health, a private UK-based not-for-profit healthcare provider. They offer gender affirming care for people of all ages through qualified clinicians and therapists. I use Anne Health myself, and the care I have received has been absolutely amazing. They are in no way dangerous.
This means trans minors will be forced to go private, which is very expensive (especially as shared care is off the table) and, therefore, not a possibility for many people. And even then, there is the possibility of being reported to social services, so families will need to be very careful. This means GPs may not be told about medication a child is taking, meaning other aspects of their health may be affected.
These policies will affect the lives of many trans kids in the UK.
*shared care is an arrangement between a private doctor/specialist and a GP that transfers part of a patient's care to the GP, which can significantly lower costs of medications, make accessing medications more convenient, etc
