Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From WPATH to the Cass Review: the crisis in medical ethics
#CassReview
#MedicalEthics
#GenderDebate
#TransHealthcare
The long-awaited Cass Review – an independent review of NHS gender-identity services for children and young people – revealed that life-altering medical treatments like puberty blockers had been prescribed to children based on ‘remarkably low-quality evidence’. Alongside the Cass Review came the revelation of the ‘WPATH files’ – leaked correspondence from members of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. The files revealed deeply concerning practices within gender treatment, including professionals admitting that it was hard to get ‘informed consent’ from minors, and that the organisation was aware of patients who ‘regretted’ treatment, having not understood the long-term consequences of medicines like puberty blockers on their sexual life or fertility. For many, this blasé approach to children’s medicine proved that something had gone deeply wrong with medical ethics.
Why has this been allowed to happen? Has a central idea of medicine – ‘first, do no harm’ – been lost in pursuit of what is politically correct? Have we given up on the cool-headed pursuit of medical ethics? And what do we need to do to restore trust in doctors?
The speakers on this panel are:
Stephanie Davies-Arai - director, Transgender Trend; author, Communicating with Kids
Susan Evans - psychoanalytic psychotherapist; co-author, Gender Dysphoria: A therapeutic model for working with children, adolescents and young adults
Jennifer Lahl - founder, Center for Bioethics and Culture; program director, Genspect USA
Dr Margaret McCartney - GP, writer and broadcaster; academic, University of St Andrews
Stella O'Malley - psychotherapist; director, Genspect; author, What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You
The chair is:
Nancy McDermott - author, The Problem with Parenting: how raising children is changing across America; US editor, Inspecting Gender
This video was filmed and edited by WORLDwrite volunteers attending the Battle of Ideas Festival 24. These are the introductory speeches only. To avoid duplication, the full debate will feature on the Academy of Ideas YouTube channel shortly.
WORLDwrite volunteers filmed over 40 sessions at the Battle of Ideas 24. To edit, sound clean and prepare these videos for the Academy & WORLDwrite channels, takes at least 2 days each. With no paid staff the charity needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in if you can by visiting the charity's JustGiving page at justgiving.com/campaign/worldwriteis30 Thank You.
From WPATH to the Cass Review: the crisis in medical ethics
#CassReview
#MedicalEthics
#GenderDebate
#TransHealthcare
The long-awaited Cass Review – an independent review of NHS gender-identity services for children and young people – revealed that life-altering medical treatments like puberty blockers had been prescribed to children based on ‘remarkably low-quality evidence’. Alongside the Cass Review came the revelation of the ‘WPATH files’ – leaked correspondence from members of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. The files revealed deeply concerning practices within gender treatment, including professionals admitting that it was hard to get ‘informed consent’ from minors, and that the organisation was aware of patients who ‘regretted’ treatment, having not understood the long-term consequences of medicines like puberty blockers on their sexual life or fertility. For many, this blasé approach to children’s medicine proved that something had gone deeply wrong with medical ethics.
Why has this been allowed to happen? Has a central idea of medicine – ‘first, do no harm’ – been lost in pursuit of what is politically correct? Have we given up on the cool-headed pursuit of medical ethics? And what do we need to do to restore trust in doctors?
The speakers on this panel are:
Stephanie Davies-Arai - director, Transgender Trend; author, Communicating with Kids
Susan Evans - psychoanalytic psychotherapist; co-author, Gender Dysphoria: A therapeutic model for working with children, adolescents and young adults
Jennifer Lahl - founder, Center for Bioethics and Culture; program director, Genspect USA
Dr Margaret McCartney - GP, writer and broadcaster; academic, University of St Andrews
Stella O'Malley - psychotherapist; director, Genspect; author, What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You
The chair is:
Nancy McDermott - author, The Problem with Parenting: how raising children is changing across America; US editor, Inspecting Gender
This video was filmed and edited by WORLDwrite volunteers attending the Battle of Ideas Festival 24. These are the introductory speeches only. To avoid duplication, the full debate will feature on the Academy of Ideas YouTube channel shortly.
WORLDwrite volunteers filmed over 40 sessions at the Battle of Ideas 24. To edit, sound clean and prepare these videos for the Academy & WORLDwrite channels, takes at least 2 days each. With no paid staff the charity needs your help to keep its edit suites switched on. Please chip in if you can by visiting the charity's JustGiving page at justgiving.com/campaign/worldwriteis30 Thank You.
