Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government why NHS England has decided to allow the prescription of gender affirming hormones as a routine commissioning treatment option for young people from around their 16th birthday after only a literature review and without consulting medical and other specialists, or taking note other countries’ experience of such hormones.

NHS England has not adopted a new policy for gender-affirming hormones since 2016. NHS England made a consequential amendment to their gender-affirming hormones policy to bring it into alignment with the new puberty suppressing hormones policy. This planned update was set out in the puberty suppressing hormones policy consultation documents.

NHS England has put additional safeguards on the use of cross-sex hormones, including that any prescription to young people aged between 16 to 18 must be approved by a national multi-disciplinary team.

NHS England will continue to review the gender affirming hormone policy in line with the latest clinical advice and take note of recommendations set out once the Cass Review has delivered its final report.