Cass Review: Gender report author cannot travel on public transport over safety fears

20 April 2024, 10:28 | Updated: 20 April 2024, 13:38

The paediatrician behind a landmark report into transgender treatment of children has criticised the "disinformation" about her findings as she revealed she avoids travelling on public transport over security fears.

Dr Hilary Cass has said the attacks on her study were "inaccurate" and "unforgivable" as it put young people "at risk".

The recently-published Cass Review found that there was "remarkably weak evidence" to support gender treatments for children.

The "toxicity of the debate" was also not helping, with people afraid of discussing transgender issues openly, she said.

The research was commissioned by NHS England four years ago after a steep rise in the numbers seeking help for gender issues.

Dr Cass told The Times newspaper: "I have been really frustrated by the criticisms, because it is straight disinformation. It is completely inaccurate.

"It started the day before the report came out when an influencer posted a picture of a list of papers that were apparently rejected because they were not randomised control trials.

"That list has absolutely nothing to do with either our report or any of the papers."

She added: "If you deliberately try to undermine a report that has looked at the evidence of children's healthcare, then that's unforgivable. You are putting children at risk by doing that."

Read more:
What gender treatments are currently available to children?

She also hit out at Labour MP Dawn Butler, who questioned Health Secretary Victoria Atkins during a House of Commons debate on Monday about why "over 100 studies have not been in this Cass report".

Dr Cass expressed dismay at the Brent Central MP making assertions that were "completely wrong".

She said researchers had examined every research paper, but not all met the threshold standard for inclusion.

The total number of datasets deemed to be of high or medium-quality was 60 out of 103.

The Cass report made more than 32 recommendations, including that gender care operates "to the same standards" as other children's health services.

The review found the entire field of medicine aimed at enabling children to change gender had been "built on shaky foundations", with not enough evidence to support prescribing hormones to under-18s to pause puberty or to transition to the opposite sex.

Last month, NHS England confirmed children would no longer be prescribed puberty blockers outside of research trials.

It also emerged adult gender clinics had refused to take part in the review, which was described as "hugely disappointing" by Dr Cass.

'Vile emails'

Regarding the online abuse she has received, the physician said: "There are some pretty vile emails coming in at the moment.

"Most of which my team is protecting me from, so I'm not getting to see them."

She added: "What dismays me is just how childish the debate can become.

"If I don't agree with somebody then I'm called transphobic or a TERF [trans-exclusionary radical feminist]."

'Misinformation makes me seethe'

But asked if the vitriol had affected her, Dr Cass, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: "No... it's personal, but these people don't know me.

"I'm much, much more upset and frustrated about all this disinformation than I am about the abuse.

"The thing that makes me seethe is the misinformation."

She added: "I'm not going on public transport at the moment, following security advice, which is inconvenient."

NHS England has since announced a second Cass Review-style appraisal of adult gender clinics.

But Dr Cass confirmed to The Times she will not take part in that report.

She said: "You heard it right here - I am not going to do the adult gender clinic review."

(c) Sky News 2024: Cass Review: Gender report author cannot travel on public transport over safety fears