NHS England pauses new prescriptions of cross-sex hormones for trans youth
"We cannot say if they are harmful or effective," says the national medical director for Specialised Services at NHS England
By Aaron Sugg
NHS England has paused new prescriptions of cross-sex hormones for 16 and 17-year-old trans youth following the Cass Review.
The decision coincides with Hilary Cass’s major 2024 review, which stated there was “remarkably weak evidence” that trans care was beneficial.
The revised policy will last up to 90 days from today (9 March) before longer-term guidance is decided.
“NHS England commissioned an in-depth review of all available clinical evidence” – professor James Palmer on pausing hormone treatment
The NHS says only a small number of teenagers will be affected, as young people already receiving the hormones will continue treatment.
Trans youth looking to start hormone treatment will be offered alternative support at three NHS gender clinics.
Professor James Palmer, national medical director for Specialised Services at NHS England, said: “Following the Cass review, NHS England commissioned an in-depth review of all available clinical evidence for using oestrogen or testosterone, either alone or with other medications, to treat gender incongruence and dysphoria.”
“The available evidence does not support the continued use of masculinising or feminising hormones” – Palmer pausing hormone treatment to trans youth
He added: “This review has established that the available evidence does not support the continued use of masculinising or feminising hormones to treat gender incongruence or dysphoria for young people under 18.”
He also said: “We cannot say if they are harmful or effective.”
“NHS England has paused new prescriptions of cross-sex hormones to 16 and 17-year-olds who question their gender, after a review found previous research into how harmful or beneficial the drugs may be was really weak.”
— India Willoughby (@IndiaWilloughby) March 9, 2026
What’s happening here is a Trump-style rewriting of medical…
The case was dismissed in May 2025, although Health Secretary Wes Streeting noted he was “actively considering” restricting the treatment while awaiting the review.
Outspoken trans advocate India Willoughby spoke out on X after the news was announced, slamming the UK’s move as adhering to Donald Trump’s anti-trans policies.
“What’s happening here is a Trump-style rewriting of medical fact to match their views” – India Willoughby slamming the hormone blocker policy
She claimed: “What’s happening here is a Trump-style rewriting of medical fact to match their views. The people Wes has put in charge of NHS Gender Services are all transgender-critical – a deliberate move, first started by Kemi [Badenoch]. They do not believe trans people are ‘real’.
“Meantime, they stubbornly push on with their conversion therapy experiment, and young people will continue to die. The next step will be extending the bans on HRT to adults,” Willoughby warned.
“Also, note that they do not refer to ‘trans children’ or ‘children with gender dysphoria’ anymore – the recognised medical terms. Instead, the phrase used by the conversion therapists is now ‘gender-questioning children’ – implying it’s confusion.”
For more information on hormone therapy and gender dysphoria, please visit the NHS England website.
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