NHS gender identity clinics for children are ‘nowhere near ready’
The new NHS gender identity clinics for young people are “understaffed” and “nowhere near ready”, it was claimed on Monday as they officially started taking on patients.
A London hub, alongside a second in the northwest, will begin to see patients this week as they replace the Gender Identity Development Service (Gids) at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
The Gids clinic was ordered to close after a review by Dr Hilary Cass found it was “not a safe or viable long-term option”.
However, whistleblowers described as senior staff at Gids have expressed concerns about the preparedness and expertise of the new hubs, just as they open.
One, who spoke to the i newspaper under the condition of anonymity, said: “It’s been shoddy, disorganised, messy and unclear. And at times, it’s felt unsafe.”
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Source: The Times, 1 April 2024