The Scottish Youth Gender Service in Glasgow will stop accepting patients who seek help directly. Access to services provided at the Sandyford Gender Clinic will now only be possible with a referral from a GP, according to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC). The decision follows advice from the Chief Medical Officer, who assessed the feasibility of implementing the findings of the Cass Review of Gender Services for Children and Young People in Scotland.
West of Scotland gender services update procedures: from referral to first consultation – what will change for patients
Officials said the move was to ensure patients were receiving the “right level of support and care”. The changes will affect both the West of Scotland Youth Gender Service and the West of Scotland Adult Gender Service. Director of Public Health Dr Emilia Crichton said: “Our priority is to ensure our patients receive the care they need and this updated referral process ensures that this is fully supported.”
Patients experiencing gender-related difficulties will now be referred to specialists by their GP, child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) or adult mental health service. While waiting for their first appointment with a gender service, patients are also encouraged to look after their wellbeing and make use of available support resources.
“By the time they first visit the gender service, we have all the information we need to determine the best course of action straight away,” the service said. The changes will not affect those already on the waiting list for either the Youth Gender Service or the West of Scotland Adult Gender Service.
The Cass Report and its challenges: How new guidelines will change gender services for young people in Scotland
A report by pediatrician Dr Hilary Cass and published in April proposed bringing gender services for young people in line with general NHS standards of care.
The report provoked political controversy because of some of its findings. Patrick Harvie, leader of the Scottish Greens and then a member of the Scottish government, questioned the report’s credibility, saying he found it difficult to regard it as serious scientific work.
The multidisciplinary clinical panel, which reviewed the report for the Scottish Government, made several recommendations. In addition to ending self-referral, the group proposed formally ending the use of puberty blockers and moving forward with the establishment of a regional service for children without delay.
In Scotland, as in the rest of the UK, there has been a significant increase in the number of young people questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria in recent years.
Sandyford is the only specialist facility for under-18s in Scotland and there were around 1,100 patients on the waiting list by the end of 2023, according to figures obtained by BBC Scotland News through a Freedom of Information Act request.
