Gender identity healthcare

The Scottish Government has accepted the findings of a multi-disciplinary team’s report on gender identity healthcare for young people.

Following the Chief Medical Officer establishing a multidisciplinary clinical team to consider, in the context of Scottish services, the recommendations of the NHS England commissioned Cass Review on gender identity services for young people; Public Health Minister Jenni Minto confirmed that the Scottish Government has accepted all the findings of the Cass Review: Implications for Scotland report, published in July, and that work is underway to implement its recommendations.

These recommendations include:

• gender identity healthcare services for children and young people being provided in paediatric clinical settings
• the provision of these services via a distributed network, or regional model, rather than on one site
• an end to self-referral, with young people being referred to specialist services by a clinician, in common with other specialities.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Ms Minto outlined work that is underway to implement the recommendations, including the publication of new National Standards for Gender identity healthcare: Adults and young people by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

The Minister also highlighted the publication of a progress report on work to improve these services. The new standards are part of a suite of documents published today that also includes NHS Education for Scotland’s Transgender Care Knowledge and Skills Framework and an updated Gender Identity Healthcare Protocol for adult services.

Ms Minto said:

“The Chief Medical Officer’s report underlines the need for development of these services with children, young people, and their families. I am determined the young people using these services, and their families, are our priority and will be at the heart of all our discussions about how this care is provided.

“There is now a breadth of work underway to take forward the recommendations of the CMO’s report which illustrates our commitment to deliver improved gender identity healthcare for young people.

“In addition, the suite of documents relating to gender identity healthcare provision published today, which were developed following extensive public consultation and targeted consultation with people with lived experience, will support clinicians and a wide range of professional bodies and help drive improvement in services.”

Background

Progress report on work to improve gender identity services.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament in April, Ms Minto advised that a senior multi-disciplinary team in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer would consider the recommendations of the NHS England commissioned Cass Review and engage with the relevant health boards in relation to those recommendations. As a result of that work the Cass Review – Implications for Scotland report was delivered to Parliament on 5 July, the earliest opportunity following the pre-election period.

Alongside the ministerial statement and the progress report provided to the Scottish Parliament on the current strategy for reducing long waits to access specialist children and young person provision, a suite of documents relating to gender identity healthcare provision has been published today:

• National Standards for Gender Identity Healthcare: Adults and Young People
• Transgender Care Knowledge and Skills Framework
• Updated Gender Identity Healthcare Protocol