Hilary Cass says criticism of gender care review ‘inaccurate’ and ‘unforgivable’
The British doctor behind a landmark study into transgender treatment in the UK has called criticism of her research “inaccurate” and “unforgivable”.
Dr Hilary Cass told the Times she wished to address the “disinformation” circulating about the findings and recommendations handed down by the Cass Review when it was published on April 10.
The physician also said she fears using public transport and for her personal safety after receiving online abuse in the wake of the report’s release.
The report found the evidence base for gender care in young people had been thin and children had been let down by a “toxic” public discourse around gender.
Dr Cass told the Times: “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.”
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 accused the Brent Central MP of making assertions that were “completely wrong” about the data and findings.
She said researchers had appraised every research paper that was involved in the Cass Review, but not all were deemed to be the high or the minimum level of medium quality to make the threshold for inclusion.
Dr Cass said the total number of datasets deemed to be of high or medium-quality standard was 60 out of 103.
Ultimately, the Cass Report made more than 32 recommendations to the NHS to restructure the medical system to address how trans youth receive care in Britain.
The review declared an entire sector of medicine to be operating on “shaky foundations”, with not enough evidence in support of prescribing hormones to under-18s to pause puberty or to transition to the opposite sex.
NHS England has since announced a second Cass Review-style appraisal of adult gender clinics.
Dr Cass confirmed to the Times that she will not take part in the adult report after the abuse she suffered in recent weeks.
She said: “You heard it right here: I am not going to do the adult gender clinic review.”
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