NHS may test children referred to gender clinics for autism and ADHD, leaked plans reveal

28 April 2025, 12:06 | Updated: 28 April 2025, 13:02

Children who have been referred to gender clinics will be screened for conditions such as autism and ADHD, reports have claimed.

The new guidance is set to be issued in the wake of the Cass Review into gender identity services in the NHS, according to a leak of the plans.

The review, lead by paediatrician Baroness Cass, found that the neurological conditions were disproportionately common in children and young people with gender dysphoria.

The new NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Service is set to examine eight key areas of a child’s life.

Assessments will reportedly look into a “detailed history” of a child’s social, cognitive and physical development, partially due to the “substantial” changes that occur in puberty.

Doctors will also assess each child’s mental health and their family relationships, The Telegraph reports.

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Medics will screen children for autism and learning disabilities and determine whether “cognitive assessments” are necessary.

They will also examine and their sexual development, including whether they attracted to the same-sex, it adds.

The new guidance will reportedly be used by established children’s gender clinics in London and Manchester later this year after an imminent public consultation.

The move marks part of the health service's shift away from a "medical model" toward a more "holistic" approach to care.

Speaking on LBC , Care Minister Stephen Kinnock said it is important to take a whole range of factors into account when a young person presents with gender dysphoria.

He said: "You'll recall the Cass review, which was very clear in terms of saying that the blanket approach on puberty blockers was not the right way to go. We immediately suspended the use of puberty blockers and we're now looking at an in-depth review of gender services across the board.

"It's really important that when a young person presents with gender dysphoria that the individual circumstances of their case are properly understood and they're assessed for a whole range of issues that might be connected to their gender dysphoria.

"But I think it's probably best that we don't pre-empt the outcome of that review. But it is vital that we treat each young person who presents in this way with dignity and respect, but also not have a blanket approach which can often have real unintended consequences".

An NHS spokesman said: “We will soon be going to full public consultation on this draft specification which sets out the new holistic assessment framework that was described by Dr Cass in her report.

“NHS England has recently changed the referral pathway so child patients can only access gender services that we commission if they’re referred by a paediatrician or a child and adolescent mental health worker."