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Dozens of children put at risk after gender care failures at GP clinic, inquiry finds
The inquiry found 51 children aged 16 or under received hormones and said clinicians lacked specialist oversight, tests and consent checks.
- An NHS investigation published Thursday found a Brighton-based GP practice, WellBN, inappropriately prescribed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to 78 children, concluding care "fell far short of what could be considered safe or appropriate."
- WellBN opened a Trans Health Hub in 2020, but the investigation revealed clinicians lacked qualification or commission to provide specialist gender care, finding none were professionally competent to initiate treatment without specialist oversight.
- Investigators described medical notes as "poor and disorganised," noting 75 children received prescriptions without specialist referrals; capacity to consent was rarely evidenced, and families were "not appropriately informed of the impact of medication" on future fertility.
- NHS England ordered the clinic to stop offering new prescriptions to children and referred several clinicians to medical regulators; one doctor has been suspended, and most young patients transferred to specialist NHS services.
- These findings coincide with broader UK efforts to overhaul gender services following a 2024 landmark review by paediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass; NHS England now requires "extreme caution" and specialist sign-off for hormone prescriptions to young people.
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Total News Sources7
Leaning Left2Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Center
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources are Center
43% Center
L 29%
C 43%
R 28%
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