NHS England is aiming to open six new regional centres for under-18s seeking gender-affirming care.

A statement published on Wednesday (7 August) revealed that the new specialist centres, which will aim to cut the waiting lists for trans youngsters, should be up and running by 2026.

The pledge comes in the wake of recommendations made by paediatric expert Dr Hilary Cass in an independent review published in April.

The Cass Report made upwards of 32 recommendations to reconfigure gender care in England to what it describes as a more “holistic approach”, after referrals rose significantly in 2020.

Several of the report’s key recommendations have been criticised by LGBTQ+ activists and some medical organisations, including the British Medical Association.

Despite the criticism, NHS England has committed to opening the new regional centres, in addition to the Children and Young People’s Gender Services which opened in London and Liverpool earlier this year.

The next set to open in Bristol this autumn, with another East of England set to follow in March 2025.

“The roll out of new specialist centres in every region across England will be central to improving and expanding NHS gender services for children and young people,” the health service’s medical director for specialised commissioning, Professor James Palmer, said.

“There remains considerable work to do but we are already making progress on a number of Dr Cass’ recommendations, and our plans published today set how we will establish services that provide the care patients and their families need to thrive.”

Palmer also noted that NHS England is intent on addressing the rising waiting times for its adult gender services.

A review into adult trans care in England was commissioned shortly after the publication of the Cass Report and will aim to gather evidence on how clinics operate and deliver care.

“The review needs to address poor experience but also learn from good experience of care,” Palmer said. “It’s vital we hear from patients and staff, some of whom have raised concerns to Dr Cass, and this review will be a further opportunity for them to be heard.”

Reforms aim to minimise waiting times, Wes Streeting says

Health secretary Wes Streeting, who has made it clear that he no longer stands by his statement that “trans women are women,” said he was pleased to be working with NHS England to help deliver care as soon as possible.

The Labour MP added that he hopes the recommendations will allow young people to get the “safe, holistic care and support they need” while the “unacceptable waiting times for gender services” are addressed.

A recent report from PA Media found that more than 5,700 children are waiting an average of 100 weeks for a first appointment.

Streeting added that NHS England is in the process of setting up clinical trials to “establish the evidence on puberty blockers,” adding that healthcare should “always be led by evidence”.

The Cass Report was criticised for its decision to disregard much of the well-established evidence on puberty blockers as a safe medication for young people experiencing gender dysphoria. Shortly after it was published, several doctors claimed it didn’t have a “reliable evidence base” for the decisions it made.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, which has been integral in influencing guidance in several countries, slammed the report for its “selective” and “inconsistent use of evidence” adding that it “deprives young trans and gender-diverse people of the high-quality care they deserve, and causes immense distress and harm to young patients and their families”.