Gender Identity Service Series

The Independent Review of gender identity services for children and young people (The Cass Review) was commissioned by NHS England to make recommendations about the services provided by the NHS to children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender incongruence and/or gender dysphoria.  The aim of the Review was to ensure that these children and young people receive a high standard of NHS care that meets their needs and is safe, holistic and effective. In order to better understand the existing evidence base the Review commissioned the University of York to undertake a series of systematic reviews to provide the best available collation of published evidence relevant to epidemiology, clinical management, models of care and outcomes. To supplement the learning from the systematic reviews, an appraisal of international guidelines and an international survey of gender clinics were also undertaken, to look at evidence application and clinical practice in other comparable health systems. These studies have assisted the Review in determining the most appropriate clinical approach and models of care, assessment and treatment.