The NHS faces a crackdown on giving puberty blockers to children as the Tavistock clinic closes

On Thursday night Ms Truss said she would review the use of puberty blockers if she came to Downing Street.

“I believe passionately that adults should have the freedom to lead their lives as they see fit – but it is very important to protect them from long-term harm while young people are still developing their decision-making abilities,” she said. .

“Until the age of 18, we have a responsibility to protect them from irrevocable decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives. As Prime Minister, I would review access to puberty blockers to ensure we maintain the right checks and balances in the system to protect our young people.

Mr. Sunak said the team the former chancellor did not believe children should be “driven down irreversible medical paths” and believed they should be “protected from life-changing treatment”.

They added that he was concerned because clinicians were warning of the dangers of puberty-suppressing drugs.

A Sunak spokesperson said: “Rishi believes that all children who are questioning their gender should have the time, space and appropriate support they need to consider their feelings. Children should not be taken down irreversible medical paths, and those under 18 should be protected from life-changing treatment.

“Furthermore, the NHS urgently needs to reassess how it cares for children with gender dysphoria, including examining the outcomes of different treatment models, to ensure the best possible care.”

Puberty blockers block hormones that are thought to stop a child from developing sexual characteristics such as breasts.

More than 1,000 young people Tavistock Gender Identity Development Clinic referred to endocrinology services for puberty blockers.

Sources say the number would have been higher had the service not been disrupted by the Covid pandemic. Before the prisons, clinicians estimated that about 40 percent of their referrals were for puberty blockers.

Since 2009, more than 20,000 young people have been referred to Tavistock. There has been a sharp rise in referrals in recent years, with more than 5,000 in 2021-2022 compared to 250 a decade earlier. Many of those referred in recent years are still on the waiting list.

After that came the decision to close Tavistock almost two decades of care on treatment at the only clinic for transgender children, we collected in an interim report.

Fears arose yes doctors were “pressured to adopt an unquestioningly affirmative approach” to gender identity that runs counter to the clinical assessment process because it ignores other medical or mental health problems the child may have.

Responding to the centre’s closure, Mr Sunak said: “This review has highlighted some very serious issues. As a father of two, I know that young people are under enormous pressure, and I am instinctively wary of children embarking on life-changing treatment.

“When clinicians raise concerns and young people come forward saying they felt coerced into treatment, we need to listen.”

In a letter published by NHS England on Wednesday, Dr. Cass called for the establishment of regional centers with “a multi-professional workforce that will enable them to manage the holistic needs of this population”.