There has been lots of media coverage and controversy surrounding the Tavistock gender clinic and its recent closure, and over court cases relating to the issuance of transitioning treatment for minors.
Following information from the interim report from Dr Hilary Cass, our legal team is able to provide free, no-obligation legal advice to anyone who may have been affected by inadequate care at the clinic. We are able to provide confidential advice in relation to Tavistock GIDS (Gender Identity Development Service) issues, and you can speak to our team here now should you need to do so.
Closure of the Tavistock gender clinic
There has been a significant amount of media coverage over the closure of the Tavistock gender clinic and the interim report that has been submitted from Dr Hilary Cass. Whilst the full report is yet to be established, and the final recommendations are not yet in place, the consensus is that the closure of the Tavistock gender clinic and a shift to a better way of working looks to be required.
There has been a significant amount of controversy surrounding the Tavistock GIDS (Gender Identity Development Service) treatment matters over the last few years. This includes a legal case (Bell v Tavistock) that went through the High Court and the Court of Appeal in relation to whether court orders should be required for minors to consent to treatment. Whilst the Court of Appeal essentially sided with the NHS in respect of the current model of things, the court cases certainly brought to light a number of challenges and issues that minors may face in relation to gender dysphoria, and the transitioning of young people in England and Wales.
A lot of criticism that has also been covered in the media appears to come from former employees working at the Tavistock gender clinic, some of whom have been critical in relation to how treatment was provided and what methods were used. There are also questions over whether there are any long-term considerations in relation to drugs being used that remain unanswered.
Legal advice for gender identity issues
Ultimately, the criticisms and the initial information from the interim report from Dr Hilary Cass raises the need for legal advice for anyone who may have suffered from any issues. There are many factors to consider, and these are very sensitive matters. What our legal experts can do is speak to anybody who may have had problems to discuss whether there is something that we can do.
Primarily, we are looking at issues such as whether treatment was appropriate in a case, and whether consent meets the criteria of what is known as “Gillick” competency. As things stand, the legal and medical precedents maintain that children can consent to receive drugs and treatment for early transitioning so long as they are competent and intelligent enough to be able to consent to treatment. Competency and intelligence are measured by clinicians.
The competency of a minor who agrees to treatment is the major focus here. Some of the criticisms that have been raised in relation to the Tavistock gender clinic involve allegations that it was a lottery in terms of the extent of any screening that was conducted prior to treatment. There are also allegations that the basis on which children were advised to go forward with their services were not strong enough.
What we do know is that the allegations and the interim report from Dr Hilary Cass certainly raise that there appears to be a lack of clear guidance and modelling in respect of the approach that needs to be taken to ensure that the correct treatment and assistance can be provided. In a case where a minor perhaps may not have been able to fully consent to treatment, or where there were a number of external issues in relation to mental health that were not considered, it may be that the duty of care that the clinic had has been breached.
Confidential and no-obligation advice
Any legal advice we can provide will need to be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. But, in short, if you have received treatment from the Tavistock gender clinic and you feel that the wrong decisions have been made, please do not hesitate to contact us for a confidential conversation.
We can discuss your situation and have an entirely no-obligation chat about how you feel and what you would like to do. If you feel that the wrong decisions had been made, there could be a legal route to compensation.
We appreciate the difficulties surrounding early transitioning, and we also appreciate the need for high-quality care from the NHS in this regard. Please do not hesitate to contact the team for free advice should you feel the need to.
