Dr Hilary Cass to appear at Holyrood as calls for SNP to adopt her report in full grow

Dr Hilary Cass’s report concluded that gender medicine had been built on ‘shaky foundations’ – PA/Yiu Mok

The leading paediatrician whose investigation into child gender healthcare led to a ban on puberty blockers is to appear at Holyrood.

Dr Hilary Cass, whose landmark report has led to an overhaul of NHS services in England, is to give evidence to Holyrood’s health committee on Tuesday as MSPs consider possible implications for Scotland.

There have been calls for the Sandyford clinic, Scotland’s only gender identity service for children, to be closed down following the report.

Dr Cass, a former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said that gender medicine had been built on “shaky foundations” with potentially life-altering drugs given to children despite a lack of evidence of safety or effectiveness.

Meghan Gallacher, the Scottish Tory deputy leader, said: “I am confident her evidence will confirm the urgent need for SNP ministers to implement her recommendations in full in Scotland, in a similar way that is going to happen south of the border.

“The wellbeing of our children and young people must be the top priority for every MSPs. SNP and Green MSPs in particular should use Dr Cass’s session to finally give her findings their unequivocal backing.”

Meghan Gallacher, the Scottish Tory deputy leader, wants to see the Cass Report’s recommendations implemented in full – Alamy/Colin Fisher

Sandyford has been branded the “Tartan Tavistock” after the scandal-hit London gender clinic which it had links to before it was closed down.

The Glasgow clinic’s gender services are “modelled and informed” on guidelines set by controversial US trans body WPATH, which Dr Cass criticised in her report.

New prescriptions of puberty blockers and hormones for under 18s were halted at the Sandyford last month in light of the findings that there was “remarkably weak” evidence to justify their use.

The Scottish Government has said it will consider the findings of the Cass Report but have not yet committed to implementing its full findings.

Sandyford clinic was branded the ‘Tartan Tavistock’ and is facing calls for it to be shut down – Alamy /Iain Masterton

Patrick Harvie, the former Green minister who lost his job when Humza Yousaf tore up their coalition deal, has refused to accept the expert report as a valid piece of scientific research.

Activist groups funded by the Scottish Government, such as Scottish Trans and LGBT Youth Scotland have also criticised Dr Cass’s findings.

Mr Yousaf later suggested Mr Harvie’s comments about the report had contributed to the end of the coalition deal, which in turn led to the First Minister’s own resignation.

Holyrood’s health committee is set to hold a future evidence session on Dr Cass’s findings with “stakeholders” to “explore implications of the Cass Review for future provision of gender identity services in Scotland”.

The committee could choose to launch a full inquiry into how gender healthcare is provided in Scotland but this is thought to be unlikely. Dr Cass is expected to appear at Holyrood remotely.

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