Cass Review: Regan urges Yousaf to ensure children are protected from harm

ALBA Party Holyrood leader Ash Regan MSP has written to First Minister Humza Yousaf calling on him to take immediate steps to protect children and young people in Scotland from harm. 

Responding to the Cass review, the Alba Party Holyrood leader says “Dr Cass's report supports the concerns I have raised in the chamber on the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children in Scotland based on the "affirmative care" model promoted by the now-discredited World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).”

The Cass review – named after its chair Dr Hilary Cass – concluded children accessing gender identity services in England needed to be provided with “holistic” care, including screening for neurodevelopmental conditions and a mental health assessment.

It also found a lack of reliable evidence on which to base clinical decisions and warned the rationale for using puberty blockers “remains unclear”.

Writing to the First Minister, Regan has urged Yousaf to provide “a clear statement on an interim pause on the affirmation model, gender promotion for children and the medicalisation of gender-questioning children until the Scottish Government has reviewed the final report of the Cass Review.”

Ms Regan has also called for an end to puberty blockers being prescribed to children and young people in Scotland.

In her letter to Humza Yousaf, Ash Regan MSP added: 

“Scotland's children, young people, families, and health, care, and school professionals deserve this clarity and swift action from the Government. Further harm from guidance that scored poorly on the "rigour of development, applicability, and independence", based on an organisation that did not follow international standards, must not be facilitated by prevarication and inaction from the Government.

“The governments of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have long since accepted their role in safeguarding their nations' children and commissioned their own evidence reviews into puberty blockers. They all concluded that the evidence base for their efficacy was poor and adopted new best practice principles severely restricting their use.

“If you agree with me that the health and well-being of all Scottish children deserve this Government's utmost care and attention, then I call on you to act now and suspend the use of puberty blockers. Families and our public bodies need a clear statement from your Government on an interim pause on the affirmation model, gender promotion for children and the medicalisation of gender-questioning children until the Scottish Government has reviewed the final report of the Cass Review.”