NHS loophole allows children who want to change gender to get the powerful ... trends now
Gender-questioning children can still get powerful puberty blockers on the taxpayer despite an NHS ban.
Campaigners including former Prime Minister Liz Truss have now urged ministers to close the 'loophole'.
NHS England withdrew the use of the medications last month after a review found a lack of evidence on their 'safety or clinical effectiveness'.
Puberty blockers stop physical changes of adolescence such as breast development or growth of facial hair.
Experts have been concerned about their potential side effects for years.
Campaigners, including ex-PM Liz Truss , are calling for the NHS to close this 'loophole'. Ms Truss pictured here in February
Puberty blockers, known medically as gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues, stop the physical changes of puberty in teens questioning their gender. Pictured one example of these drugs, called Triptorelin
Although banned by the NHS, medics in the health service can still potentially dish them out to gender-questioning youth under a 'special circumstances' clause.
NHS medics can get around the ban by making what is called an 'individual funding request' for a gender questioning child to be given the drugs.
This isn't a policy unique to puberty blockers. Such requests can be made for any drug not routinely available in the NHS.
Campaigners claim such a policy for puberty blockers violates the spirit of the NHS ban and, in this circumstance, the loophole should be closed.
Ms Truss told The Telegraph: 'In schools, hospitals and the courts, extremist activists have exploited loopholes in the law time and time again.
'Without primary legislation, the practice of prescribing puberty blockers to children will continue, despite the evidence of harmful consequences.'
The ex-PM is campaigning for legislation to ban the prescription of puberty blockers completely, including in private 'cowboy clinics'.
Dr Caroline Johnson MP, a paediatrician and Conservative member of the health select committee who is backing Ms Truss's call, added: 'If the NHS plans to allow them for children by individual applications – the question is how high is the threshold of benefit which must be met? How well must risk be understood? What is the burden of proof?'
Campaign group the LGB Alliance, which has long campaigned about the risks of puberty blockers, told MailOnline more must be done to curtail private clinics from stepping in to fill the gap left
