A whistleblowing report leaked to The Sunday Times shows that David Gerber was worried staff lacked caution when sending young people for reassignment treatment - what a scoop
Adoctor who oversaw Scotland’s gender clinic for young people for a decade repeatedly raised concerns about patients progressing towards reassignment treatment without sufficient caution.
Dr David Gerber, who was clinical lead of the Sandyford gender service in Glasgow from 2010, warned senior health board management more than three years ago that staff were taking an “overly affirmative stance”.
A whistleblowing report leaked to The Sunday Times reveals one teenager was started on a course of testosterone despite details in a psychological assessment that “alarmed” a member of staff. Questions about the suitability of a young patient who had been referred for chest surgery were also raised after a surgeon contacted Sandyford to query the referral.
Young patients being passed on to the adult gender clinic when they were suffering from other mental health conditions or displayed signs of autism were also highlighted by Gerber. He was not in a position to implement systemic changes because those powers lie with senior health board managers and the government.
His document, dated December 2021, concludes: “In summary, the gender service’s process of assessment seems to have been significantly affected by the sociopolitical climate in the absence of robust clinical leadership.”Top Sandyford doctor raised the alarm about gender clinic in 2021