Ministers accused of ‘buck-passing’ on the Cass Review
Tory fury over gender report ‘dithering’
SCOTLAND’S chief medical officer (CMO) is due to deliver a report on the implications of the Cass Review into gender care services before the end of June, a minister has said.
Sir Gregor Smith is overseeing a multi-disciplinary team assessing what Dr Hilary Cass’s report will mean for Scotland’s health service.
But SNP ministers are refusing to commit to implementing the review’s 32 recommendations aimed at ensuring youngsters receive more holistic treatment.
The Tories accused ministers of ‘buck-passing’ and said the Scottish Government must implement all recommendations.
The Cass Review examined gender care services in England and criticised the lack of evidence around the use of puberty blockers and other interventions.
The report, published last month, shed light on how children in England had undergone gender transition on the NHS with little proof of its worth.
Following the publication of the review, two Scottish health boards – one of which covers the only gender clinic in the country for young people – decided to pause the prescription of puberty blockers to new patients. During the Tories’ debate on the Cass Review at Holyrood yesterday, deputy leader Meghan Gallacher said she intends to keep raising the issue until all the recommendations are acted upon.
She said: ‘Now that the Greens have been successfully removed from Bute House, this is an opportunity for a reset in how we look at gender care in Scotland.
‘The Nationalists must give up dithering and delaying on implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review.’
Public health minister Jenni Minto said it was important to ‘carefully consider’ the review which was a ‘scientific and evidence-based document’.
She said the Government had funded research from Glasgow University on gender care services and a multi-disciplinary team in the CMO’s directorate is examining the implications of the Cass Review for Scotland.
Ms Minto added: ‘The CMO will provide a written update to parliament on the outcome of that clinical consideration process before the summer recess.’
During the debate Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said ‘some years ago’ he had met women who were protesting against the gender reform Bill at Holyrood and was ‘heckled’ by Nicola Sturgeon with the words ‘shame on you’.
He added: ‘I feel no shame for speaking up for the rights of women and girls. Any shame that falls to be apportioned should be laid firmly at the door of the former First Minister, her ministers and all in here who allowed this abuse to occur in the furtherance of a toxic ideology.’
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said he worries that the parliament’s track record on trans rights is about to change. He said few contributions in the debate had mentioned trans people themselves, and said there is a context of a ‘wave of transphobia with marginalised people’s views rarely heard’.
The Tory motion calling for ministers to implement the recommendations was defeated, with MSPs instead backing a Government amendment to examine the Cass Review and report back.
‘An opportunity for a reset’