The findings of an independent report in the UK prompted the Health Minister Simeon Brown to press pause on new prescriptions of puberty blockers for treating gender incongruence or dysphoria in children and adolescents. The ban was to take effect just before Christmas, but an urgent High Court injunction has called a halt to the new regulations and a judicial review is set down for May.
The four-year Cass Review, carried out for NHS England concluded there is "not enough evidence" regarding the safety or long-term impact of puberty blockers for children with gender incongruence. The review recommended these drugs be limited to research settings for this group.
The report also urges unhurried holistic care, caution around irreversible treatments, and the recognition of complex factors such as mental health, neurodiversity and social media as possible contributors to the rise in young people questioning their gender.
Report author Baroness Dr Hilary Cass is a paediatrician and former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in the UK. She joins Susie live from the UK.
Photo: Roger Harris - UK Parliament 2026
