Also: regarding the House of Commons Health Select Committee Enquiry that we will need to look into all this as a first step to convincing MPs in general that they may need to legislate on this. We can contact them to ask that they look at this. The really great thing about a Select committee is that it will look at the evidence from all sides:
Here’s how the Commons Health and Social care Select committee works:
www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-and-social-care-committee/role/
Sarah Wollaston MP (she’s in the new Independent party) is the committee Chair, she is a GP herself. Good start. www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-and-social-care-committee/membership/
Select committees need some evidence to start their enquiries- whether evidence of concerning issues or evidence of public concern. We have loads of both of that on FWR threads. TRAs have no evidence, that is why it’s always all #nodebate
So if parents like us just email the committee a few points that we think are important to the committee- copying in our own MPs - and whether or not we are gender critical or we think that affirmation-only is the way to go, then it can all be heard and looked at in the open. Nobody can argue against that and it’s completely unacceptable that all these questions have been raised and have not been looked into by an impartial body.
I am really concerned at the reports about the UK transitioning children and I also want mental health support to be much better for young people in general with shorter waiting lists, including those with gender dysphoria and those who are confused or exploring gender (if they are also in distress). Evidence and political attention (like this committee) is how any issue gets to be prioritised in Parliament. So let’s just start contacting people asking them to look at this.
Anyone can email the Chair, any member MP (especially if it’s your own MP) and the secretariat of the committee directly who may pass these things on to the Chair to consider. Contact details below:
www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-and-social-care-committee/contact-us/
Also worth a mention if you are writing: The Times cover splash also makes current NHS pilots such as this one in Manchester look very concerning: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3549494-Plans-for-radical-trans-health-service-model-to-be-rolled-out-across-England
The aim here in Manchester seems to be to take services for trans people out of the very specialist professional setting (gender identity clinics) and into much more general primary care level (GP care) in community settings. and services to be delivered by trans people themselves wherever possible.
This isn’t positive for adult patients at all. Because some adults over 25 are vulnerable and they still absolutely need neutrality, specialist expertise and experience in their medical and psychological care.
Why would these patients benefit from being offered treatments by generalists who don’t have the experience to scratch the surface of what is going on for the patient first?
Why would they benefit from the involvement of people who want to validate their own choices?
I think that competent adults can of course make their own choices including around long term blockers use, taking hormones and having surgery, but the system for adults needs a lot of tightening up too, to ensure that adults with underlying psychological needs are helped with those, rather than ‘affirmed’ as first approach.