Observer interview with David Bell about the Tavistock case

[Biscuitsanddoombar]

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/may/02/tavistock-trust-whistleblower-david-bell-transgender-children-gids

This is such a good interview. The behaviour of the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust over this is a disgrace!

Really pleased the Guardian reported this. Bell seems to be very considered and it's difficult to find fault with anything he says I think. Awful that he was treated so badly by the Trust. I still don't really understand how we got to the point where he is considered controversial.

There’s so much in it. The basic lack of data, the bullying by the Trust (the chair paul burstow is a prominent Lib Dem), the rehearsed answers from children with very ‘enthusiastic’ parents, the homophobia, the left’s failure to engage & think critically

@wonderstuff

Really pleased the Guardian reported this. Bell seems to be very considered and it's difficult to find fault with anything he says I think. Awful that he was treated so badly by the Trust. I still don't really understand how we got to the point where he is considered controversial.

It's the Observer - who in fairness have been marginally less biased over this whole thing (Eva Wiseman aside. She signed the letter against Suzanne Moore)

Great article. So pleased to see this.

Here is Sonia Sodha comparing this case to other medical scandals like Mid Staffs.

twitter.com/soniasodha/status/1388785016688320514?s=19

Great article, and even better that it is in the garden. Yes so much in it, and pleased that the conversion therapy issue is in there too.

Fantastic article - his treatment and the behaviour of the clinic is absolutely and utterly chilling. This is scandalous.

I thought we had legislation in place to protect whistleblowers? And one would think the wellbeing of children would be pretty much at the top of the list of things to focus on?!

@ArabellaScott I thought restrictions on him speaking to their safeguarding lead was the most shocking. Safeguarding children should always trump any other concern I thought, definitely feels like Tavi is in a dark place.

I'm looking at psychology training at the moment and attended a Tavi open day last year, the people I spoke to weren't involved with GIDs as far as I know, and were trainee ed psychologists and lecturers. They felt that they were outsiders a bit, like Tavi was not conventional and they fitted in because they were questioning and bold and had a non conventional perspective, I wondered how this culture could become problematic.

Read the article this morning, I'm so glad David Bell is being given coverage in the mainstream - he is such an important voice in this.

They way the clinic behaved towards his is terrible.

So pleased to this this wise man being given the space to highlight what was really happening at the Tavistock.

Very disturbing article.

Quite amazing that this should be in the Observer rather than, say, the Sunday Times. Interesting that it comes so soon after the Rowan Moore article. Also interesting that it’s by one of the paper’s star writers, Rachel Cooke, and she’s done a really good job of letting him argue his case. I’d love to know what internal battles are going on at the Observer.

Great interview, pretty damning overall.

A few little things. The author writes:

His open-mindedness belongs to someone far younger.

Has she met young people?! It’s “no debate!” all the way.

In the US, a journal that published a paper about the effect of puberty blockers on suicide risk recently had to disclose that one of its co-authors received a stipend from the manufacturer of another drug.

This is Jack Turban, for those unaware, being paid by a manufacturer of a brand of puberty blocker.

It’s a great article; quite apart from the content, so good to see an interviewee given space to explain a complex situation.

I don’t know how anyone could read this interview and not start to ask questions

@NotBadConsidering

Great interview, pretty damning overall.

A few little things. The author writes:

His open-mindedness belongs to someone far younger.

Has she met young people?! It’s “no debate!” all the way.

In the US, a journal that published a paper about the effect of puberty blockers on suicide risk recently had to disclose that one of its co-authors received a stipend from the manufacturer of another drug.

This is Jack Turban, for those unaware, being paid by a manufacturer of a brand of puberty blocker.

I prickled at that (about open mindedness) I need to go back and read it all now, as that seems to have been a minor blot.

On the abdication of the Left:
“They think this is to do with being liberal, rather than [...]the care of children. Mermaids and Stonewall have made people afraid even of listening to another view.”

From the piece

That interview is incredible, and to see it on the Graun website, albeit in the Observer, which hasn’t been subject to quite the same lapse in standards, is amazing.

There’s so much to absorb in there.

The treatment of whistleblowers. The level of fuck up relating to that is completely shocking for the NHS.
His opinion of the involvement of Mermaids and Stonewall
His grave concerns over the lack of curiousity over co-morbid factors like autism, anorexia, depression unrelated to gender issues, and above all the issue of nascent sexual orientation in these kids
The behaviour of senior staff in the trust.
The poor data collection processes.
The possibility of manipulation by pharma companies

I am glad he will be intervening in the Bell appeal.

Oh, my! That was both a wonderful and a chilling read.

It's like some kind of film. He was sent threatening letters, people went 'ballistic' when he asked questions, his emails were interfered with to stop him talking to other people.

And he still is of the opinion that nothing much has changed there!

Read it now. Really good article.

David Bell is amazing, he sounds very much like a competent and thorough clinician, as well as a supportive colleague.

Brilliant article.

He seems the wise Rebecca Nurse character in the TRA mob that is our Salem.

Wow. The amount of interference and attempted sabotage the Tavistock engaged in after his report is truly chilling.

thanks for flagging this, it all helps

Excellent article. I just hope people pay attention. More light