The telegraph
Psychiatrists fear that children are being “trained” to access puberty blockers, the Court of Appeal understands
Psychiatrists fear that transgender children are being “trained” to give rehearsed responses when trying to access puberty blockers, the Court of Appeal heard. Dr. David Bell, former governor of an NHS gender identity fund, expressed concern that children might be pressured by parents, friends or websites when trying to deal with feelings of gender dysphoria. Dr. Bell, who was a psychiatrist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust from 1996 until the beginning of this month, received permission on Friday from two senior judges to intervene in a historic case that examines whether transgender children can legally take puberty blockers. . In November, the Supreme Court ruled that children should not receive controversial drugs, unless they understood their “long-term risks and consequences”. The NHS was forced to change its orientation overnight, preventing children from accessing hormonal treatment without a court order. Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust have already launched an appeal against the decision. At a preliminary hearing on Friday, lawyers on behalf of Dr. Bell told the court that he wants to intervene in the appeal, as he has retired from the NHS Trust and feels he can speak more freely. In legal documents submitted to the Court, Dr. Bell is described as a “high-level whistleblower” after publishing a report in August 2018 that “investigated serious concerns” raised by ten doctors working at Tavistock. The report found that Tavistock’s gender identity clinic, GIDS, “is not fit for purpose” and some young patients “will live with the harmful consequences”. Dr. Bell said he felt “victimized by complaints” by the Trust following the report and, as a result, “did not feel able to participate” in the initial dispute from the High Court. However, Dr. Bell retired from the Trust earlier this month on January 15 and “is no longer subject to the same restrictions”, the legal documents state. “There is evidence that employees may be afraid to move forward,” the documents continued. “Dr. Bell, a highly eminent psychiatrist who until recently held a senior position with the Applicant, is now free of his job and can describe the concerns, which he investigated in some detail.” Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Dingemans granted their request to intervene in the appeal, which will be heard for two days in April, while other groups, including LGBT charity Stonewall, were denied. Dr. Bell’s lawyers said he wants to speak to the court about the concerns that were raised for him by gender identity professionals, including that “children can be ‘trained’, whether by parents, colleagues or online resources, to provide answers rehearsed in response to particular questions. ”Professionals were also concerned that“ highly complex factors ”- including historical abuse of children and family grief – may influence children’s attitudes towards gender, meaning that puberty blockers are not always the best treatment. The puberty blocker case was first launched against the Trust by Keira Bell, a 23-year-old woman who started taking puberty blockers before deciding to reverse the gender change process. Mrs. Bell said the clinic should have asked her more about her decision to transition to a man when she was 16. Also hi brought by a woman who can only be legally identified as “Mrs. A, “the mother of a 15-year-old autistic child who is currently on the waiting list for treatment. At the initial Supreme Court hearing in October, her lawyers said children who are going through puberty” are unable to understand adequately the nature and effects of hormone blockers “. They argued that there is” a very high probability “that children who start taking hormone blockers later will start taking cross-sex hormones, which they say cause” irreversible changes “, and that the NHS Trust offers “fairy tale promises” to children because they are unable to give their consent to the sex change process.