Appreciation thread for Dr Hilary Cass

[ClassCass]

I have NCed for this as has some potentially outing details.

I recently saw Dr Cass speak at the annual conference for the Royal College of Child Heald and Paediatrics. She was a wonderful speaker, very measured, but entirely unwavering in her findings, which she made clear had not been easy. She pointed out that in no other branch of paediatric medicine would it be possible, never mind acceptable to give very vulnerable distressed kids life altering treatments with no long term follow up. I got the distinct impression that she was no fan of Polly Carmichael.

As the mum to a gender non conforming autistic girl, I feel so much more comfortable that if she becomes distressed by things gender, there will be a more cautious approach from the school and the NHS. I personally hugely relieved, and so thankful for the thousands of kids this review will hopefully provide a route to better support and save from irreversible harm.

One thing to note here, Dr Cass is a paediatrician. Many of those involved in GIDS etc are not, they are psychiatrists or psychologists or endocrinologists. Putting an eminent paediatrician in charge of the review was so important. They are trained to think not just about the illness, but the child as a whole. Where they are in development, how they are likely to change over the course of being treated, what else is going on in their lives. This was so evident at the conference and in Dr Cass's speech. There was a deep understanding of children and the challenges specific to treating children. In other hands this review could have been very different.

So, thank you Dr Cass, and whoever appointed you. Thank you for saying yes. Thank you for staying the course. Thank you for doing the right thing, even when that must have been tremendously difficult. I hope you get some rest now. It must have been so hard.

Hear hear. What a difficult job. So grateful to her reading the news this morning.

Amen.

Totally agree! So reassuring to see there is an adult in the room. Thank you Dr. Cass for this huge effort.

Thank you Dr Cass!

Well-worded and nicely focussed. Such a relief to see final report in the daylight.
Thankyou

I am very thankful that she is also looking at the knock on effect this report will have, in particular what needs to happen with young people in the adult services and how to deal with rogue private providers. She could have said, not my problem pal, but she hasn't.

I've met her in real life. She's my hero. Such a brave woman.

She sounds so calm and measured. It must have been much more difficult than she lets on easing into that toxicity and staying the course.

Thank-you Dr Cass but also a massive thanks to the brave few who were instrumental in pushing the government into commissioning the review. Stephanie Davis-Aria is my shero.

This is excellent news and so heartening to know this is happening.
My DS transitioned years ago before the massive increase in young "trans" people. He is thankfully happy and healthy but I will never know if he may not have gone through it at all if there had been the restrictions on treatment then that Dr Cass is recommending now.

Agree. Well done Dr Cass!

So beautifully put OP

Everything Cass has put forward in this report is what I raised with my professional body (who should really have known better) years ago, and several times. With no response from them.

I dont care personally about that (vindication), so much as I hope they see this now, and can reflect on why they have ignored this for so long. I cant have been the only one who raised these points.

Thank you Dr Cass

Agreed. Her centring of evidence based medical care for children has been exemplary. So pleased she wasn't frightened off by the aggressive transactivists who targeted her.

Dr Cass 💜 and the rest of her team 💜 who investigated and put the report together are deserving of the most expensive tipple of whatever takes their fancy!

I imagine its been very stressful for all involved in it given they were dealing with the way children have been treated.

The amount of shit they've probably had to wade through and been put through to put it all together will have been immense!

The right person for the job, she will be remembered.

I used to regularly work with her. She is a hugely intelligent (also a little formidable) paediatrician who is completely dedicated to her job. This report will be of an extremely high standard.
She is the perfect person to do this. Hopefully also tough enough to deal with the criticism. I can't believe she would back down to anyone.

Go Hillary!

It's an amazing report. You know something is detailed when you reach the mid 30 number of pages and you're still on the summary!

Absolutely.

The idea that someone can be considered vulnerable under the law until the eve of their 18th birthday and then, BAM! Legal adult, competent to make decisions! is just not realistic, especially what we know about how young people's brains continue to develop until their mid 20s. There shouldn't be a cliff edge.

Thank you, Dr Cass.

Her report is detailed, and she has published knowing the abuse she would get. Despite the best attempts of childish cultists to criticise the report, it’s impenetrable because she has been scrupulously detailed.

Thank you Dr Cass & all those who have fought hard to get this review completed and out there!

Hear Hear!

Also Sajid Javid, an honourable and brave decision to get this in motion.

Also, thank you Mumsnet towers, for the space to discuss this more freely than any other major forum.

Agreed @Ingenieur

Absolutely agree, fantastic work, a credit to her specialty and her profession. Needs a Damehood.

Indeed, what fabulous work she has done.