Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there has been any considerations to stop working with unregulated private clinics in prescribing gender-affirming care for adults.

Unregulated private services pose a risk to patient safety as they are not subject to the same regulatory oversight as services registered with the Care Quality Commission. This includes private online services.

It is for an individual general practitioner (GP) to decide whether to accept a request from a private provider for a shared care agreement in relation to hormone medications. The National Health Service has issued guidance that advises GPs not to enter into shared care agreements with unregulated private providers or where GPs are not confident that the request is being made by a reputable organisation.