New restrictions on puberty blockers

An emergency ban on prescribing and supplying puberty-supressing hormones, or puberty blockers, to under 18s in England, Wales and Scotland has been introduced.

It will last from 3 June to 3 September 2024 and applies to prescriptions written by UK private prescribers and prescribers registered in Switzerland or the European Economic Area.

During this period, no new patients under 18 will be prescribed medicines for the purpose of supressing puberty.

Following the Cass Review into gender services, the NHS stopped prescribing puberty blockers to under-18s.

Indefinite restrictions to the prescribing of puberty blockers within NHS primary care in England are also in place.

The government's new ban closes a loophole to stop private prescribers getting puberty blockers to under 18s.