12% spike in gender care for children

THE number of children awaiting gender care in England and Wales is up by 12% in a year - and 157 of them are under the age of 10.

- By Aine Fox

THE number of children awaiting gender care in England and Wales is up by 12% in a year - and 157 of them are under the age of 10.

Under-fives make up fewer than 10 of them, NHS England said.

The average wait time for a child’s first NHS appointment surpassed two years in March, when there were 6,225 on the national waiting list, up from 5,560 at the same point in 2024.