Consortium Statement on Bell v Tavistock Outcome

Yesterday, 1st December 2020, saw an outcome in the case  Bell v Tavistock. The judgement text can be found here.

Consortium joins with its Member organisations in expressing enormous concerns about this outcome, which could have a potentially devastating impact on young people seeking access to medical services.

In the wake of yesterday’s High Court decision, NHS England published amendments to its Service Specification for Gender Identity Development Services for Children and Adolescents. This is a very concerning development.

We were truly disappointed by the lack of engagement with the trans community throughout this case; many expert organisations – some of them from our membership – asked to be heard but were all denied a voice.

This is at a time when trans people, including non-binary people, from all backgrounds and identities continue to face huge inequalities across all areas of life, as highlighted through the  together.  campaign.

We welcome the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust’s stated intention to appeal but understand that process will likely be lengthy.

In the meantime, we will be working with our Trans Organisations Network (TON) and our wider membership, to ensure that trans young people and their families can get the support they need.

We stand with young trans people and their families, guardians and carers – in defending their human rights, dignity and safety. We stand  #TogetherWithTrans.

We know this may be a highly distressing time. Please encourage your stakeholders to be careful around social media and to prioritise protecting their mental health.

Please find below some other resources from our member organisations that may help you to understand the ruling and its possible consequences and also provide guidance to help you support your service users.