The British Medical Association (BMA), the trade union representing doctors across the UK, has dropped its opposition to the findings of the Cass review into NHS gender identity services.
The move marks a significant shift from the BMA’s previous position, when it rejected the review’s conclusions and refused to endorse its recommendations. The review, led by Dr. Hilary Cass and published in April 2024, examined the state of gender identity care for children and young people within the NHS.
It concluded that patients had been let down by a lack of high-quality evidence and that gender services were “built on shaky foundations.” The report also warned that there was insufficient evidence to support the routine use of medical interventions such as sex hormones for under-18s.
Following publication, the BMA council had voted to oppose implementation of the review’s 32 recommendations, describing them as “unsubstantiated.” However, a new internal assessment conducted by 12 union members has now reached a different conclusion.
Professor David Strain, chair of the BMA’s board of science, said the review process had been constructive.
He added that clinicians with differing views had engaged respectfully and that the evidence base had been carefully examined. “There has been consistent respect for the underlying data and for the ethical complexity of the decisions involved,” Strain said.
