Wes Streeting accused of lack of transparency on puberty blockers trial just weeks before it starts

Wes Streeting has been accused of causing “distress and uncertainty to trans people” and failing to provide clear information on the puberty blockers trial, which is understood to be starting soon.

Puberty blockers were banned indefinitely in the UK for under-18s in December after the Cass Review found there was insufficient evidence to show they were safe. It recommended a clinical trial to determine the effectiveness and safety of the medication.

It is understood the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) expects the trial to begin within the next few weeks and conclude in 2028.

But NHS sources told The Independent they are not expecting to publish any details about the trial until February – just one month before it is set to begin – leaving young people wanting to access the medication guessing if they will be part of the trial.

Trans charities and campaign groups have so far received little to no information on who will be able to participate in the trial, how they will access it and when it will start, with Stonewall urging the government to “provide certainty to an extremely vulnerable group”.

Meanwhile, Tammy Hymas, head of communications and advocacy at charity Mermaids, told The Independent the “severe delays and complete absence of details” on the clinical trial has “left trans youth feeling abandoned”.

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Source: The Independent, 26 January 2025