Exclusive-NHS drafts stricter oversight of trans youth care

FILE PHOTO: Transgender rights activist waves a transgender flag as they protest the killings of transgender women, at a rally in Washington Square Park in New York, U.S., May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Demetrius Freeman/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - England's National Health Service has drafted new guidelines for treating transgender youth that would call for local authorities to be alerted in some cases where young people have obtained puberty blockers and hormone therapies on the private market, according to a copy of the guidelines reviewed by Reuters.

The guidelines are part of a wide-ranging review of treatment for young transgender people seeking NHS care. The current approach, which can include medical interventions, has been criticised by some practitioners who said it rushed people onto medication, and by families who complained the service could not manage fast-growing demand.