Cass Review

The Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People (commonly, the Cass Review) was commissioned in 2020 by NHS England and NHS Improvement^[1] and led by Hilary Cass, a retired consultant paediatrician and the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.^[2] It dealt with gender services for children and young people, including those with gender dysphoria and those identifying as transgender in England.

The final report was published on 10 April 2024,^[3] and it was endorsed by both the Conservative and Labour parties. The review led to a UK ban on prescribing puberty blockers to those under 18 experiencing gender dysphoria (with the exception of existing patients or those in a clinical trial).^[4] The Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust closed in March 2024 and was replaced in April with two new services, which are intended to be the first of eight regional centres.^[5] In August, the pathway by which patients are referred to gender clinics was revised and a review of adult services commissioned.^[6] In September, the Scottish government accepted the findings of a multidisciplinary team that NHS Scotland had set up to consider how the Cass Review's recommendations could best apply there.^[7] In England a delayed clinical trial into puberty blockers is planned for early 2025.^[8]

The review's recommendations have been widely welcomed by UK medical organisations.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} However, it has been criticised by a number of medical organisations and academic groups outside of the UK and internationally for its methodology and findings.^{[14][15][16][17][18][19]}