One hundred Irish children have been sent to a controversial “fast-track” sex-change centre in London in the past three years.
The Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service clinic is the main treatment facility for kids across Ireland and the UK.
It is under the spotlight after the resignation of whistle-blowing clinicians who claim children were
being incorrectly diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
Marcus Evans, a former governor of The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust which runs the centre, said the centre is too quick to give young people sex reassignment treatment.
He added: “I do not have confidence, and that’s why I resigned, that the trust is taking the necessary steps to make sure children are being adequately cared for.”
The most recent figures released from the facility revealed 38 Irish youngsters attended in 2017/2018, with 35 the previous year and 27 the year before that.
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Since 2010, a total of 117 kids unhappy with their biological sex have attended the clinic.
However, in the last three years there has been a sharp rise in referrals.
The children, ranging in age from eight to 17, are psychologically assessed.
Treatment, which can involve puberty blockers, is mainly carried out in the Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Dublin.
The consultant psychotherapist, who had a 34-year association with the trust, insisted the facility needs oversight from an independent body.
Dr Evans told how he was approached last year with staff concerns there was “not enough of a thorough investigation of what was wrong with these kids” and they were “being fast-tracked”.
He said parents can often come in with a specific agenda wanting “drugs as quickly as possible to take away the dysphoria”.
Children can be treated with hormone blockers and from the age of 16 can
be prescribed cross-sex treatment of oestrogen or testosterone, causing irreversible changes to the body.
Dr Evans told how people find it difficult to speak out because of the “tyrannical” fear of being accused of transphobia.
He added: “I’m not transphobic – I’m standing up for what I think is good medical practice. I think we need to slow the whole thing. In normal development you go through different stages, you identify with your mum, your dad, you experiment with being the risktaker, at being passive, you become a punk – experimenting with different facets of your identity is part of growing up.
“Why are we coming to fix solutions on one topic (gender) at an early age? This is a clinical and a parental failure.”
The Tavistock said in a statement it provides a specialised service “by fostering recognition and non-judgemental acceptance of diversity in gender identities, providing support, advice and treatment”.
A HSE spokesman added: “The HSE has worked with clinicians in Ireland and representatives of the transgender community to develop an agreed model of care.
“Tavistock have provided a service in Ireland for a number of years. They are supporting us to transition this service to Irish clinicians."
