Health Minister confirms NI puberty blocker ban - Alliance call it 'very very damaging'

The health service in England said there is not enough evidence about their safety or clinical effectiveness to justify prescribing them to children and young people who are transitioning.

The drugs stop normal development in teenagers – such as preventing breast development in girls, and the growth of facial hair in boys. There is no evidence that they won’t have long-term health consequences, including for those who don’t proceed to opposite sex hormones.

Asked by the DUP’s Diane Dodds at the Heath Committee on Thursday if he would also ban the drugs, Mr Swann replied “Yes”.

The Alliance Party’s Nuala McAllister said “you gave just a one word answer to a question that will actually be very very damaging for a very small number of people in Northern Ireland”.

The North Belfast MLA asked Robin Swann if the drugs would be banned for all under 18s and “not just trans kids” and said it was very important that the minister meets with “LGBT+ organisations” – who she said were “only too aware of the very acute needs of young people in Northern Ireland”. Robin Swann apologised for any upset his one word answer caused.

Dr David Bell – a former consultant psychiatrist at the Tavistock gender identity clinic in London – now closed – said in 2021 that the ideology of some LGBT organisations was damaging the treatment offered to children.

He told the BBC’s Nolan Investigates Stonewall podcast that LGBT+ groups had promoted “the kind of agendas which I’ve been saying are doing such damage”.

He said that, for example, health bodies signing up as a ‘Stonewall Champion’ – “implies affirmation towards children with gender dysphoria, affirming them as the opposite gender. That is damaging.”

Dr Bell said: “the neutrality which is necessary for dealing with these matters is invaded by an ideological movement”.

Stonewall said it was “deeply disappointing” that their work for “LGBTQ+ inclusion” could “still be thought of as controversial”.

Medical interventions – which can include puberty blockers and mastectomies – have been described by supporters as “gender affirming healthcare”.

Sinn Fein, who last year called for the drugs to be a legal right, did not speak on the issue. In 2020 Sinn Fein MLA Emma Sheerin said “more must be done to ensure that people can access gender affirming healthcare in an appropriate and timely manner”.

Last year Ms Sheerin suggested that prescribing puberty blockers to teenagers was a matter of “normal healthcare”.

The Alliance Party, the Green Party and the SDLP have – or still do – support the use of the drugs in children with gender dysphoria.

Last year, UUP leader Doug Beattie raised concerns saying “evidence for using puberty blocking drugs to treat young people struggling with their gender identity is ‘very low’”. The DUP and TUV have opposed their use.

In response to a News Letter question earlier on Thursday afternoon, the health minister said: “I welcome the clarity provided by NHS England, in confirming that children will not be routinely prescribed puberty supressing hormones at gender identity clinics.

"This followed a public consultation and a review of available evidence by NICE. I believe this review will be carefully considered in relation to services provided across the UK including Northern Ireland.”

Belfast Trust – who run transitioning services in Northern Ireland – said: “The Regional Gender Identity Service, Knowing our Identity, (KOI) is a specialist service within CAMHS.

"KOI has previously offered access to gender affirming endocrine interventions for young people following careful psychological assessment and consideration.

"In March 2020, changes were made to the specification for the Knowing Our Identity Service and as a result new referrals no longer have access to the endocrine pathway”.