Gender clinic faces legal action over 'failure of care'

The Tavistock facility is accused of 'rushing children into life-changing treatment'

- SAMUEL LOVETT

The Tavistock gender identity clinic is facing legal action over claims children were misdiagnosed and rushed into transitioning at a young age. The clinic, which is being shut down by NHS England, was criticised by an independent review for the quality of care and services provided to patients, who were predominantly young teenagers expressing an interest in gender transitioning.

Staff, patients and parents have raised concerns that young people using the service were put on the pathway to transitioning too early and before they had been properly assessed. It is alleged children were “rushed into taking life-altering puberty blockers without adequate consideration or proper diagnosis”, with staff under pressure to adopt an “unquestioning affirmative approach”.

Mass legal action is now being pursued by lawyers against the clinic, named the Gender and Identity Development Service (GIDS), which has treated 19,000 children with gender dysphoria since 1989. Lawyers at Pogust Goodhead have accused the clinic at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust of “failures in their duty of care towards young children and adolescents”.