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Puberty blockers to be banned indefinitely in NI

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An indefinite ban on the sale or supply of puberty blockers to under-18s is to come into effect in Northern Ireland.

Puberty blockers work by suppressing the release of hormones and can be prescribed to children questioning their gender.

In May, the Conservative government tightened rules on the drugs, introducing an emergency ban on them being prescribed by private and European prescribers.

That temporary ban was extended to Northern Ireland in August. Now, all four of the Executive parties in Stormont have voted to make that ban permanent.

BBC News NI understands the move will be in line with a wider announcement due in other parts of the UK later this week.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said on X that it was "the right approach, informed by medical and scientific advice".

She added: "The protection and safety of our young people must be paramount".

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Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn claimed that the Executive had failed LGBTQ+ people.

He said that the Executive had promised a strategy "since 2007 to address the inequalities that our community face but it has never been delivered".

"When this temporary ban was announced in the summer, we and many activists argued that the executive should release the evidence that informed this decision. Now that the ban has been made indefinite, it should be released," he said.

He added that his party was "particularly disappointed" in Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party who, he said, gave "much lip service to LGBTQ+ equality but have yet to use their 26 years in government to improve our lives in any meaningful way".

Puberty blocker prescriptions

In Northern Ireland, puberty blockers were only available on NHS prescription for under-18s, for those young people who were accepted onto the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Gender Identity Service endocrine pathway prior to March 2020.

It is understood children already on this medical pathway will continue to receive treatment.

Hormone suppressors also remain available for patients receiving the drugs for other uses, such as early-onset puberty.

The move to ban puberty blockers came after a report into children's gender services - the Cass Review - said there were "gaps in evidence" around the drugs.

The review was led by leading paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass and prompted the last government to ban the use of puberty blockers for under-18s questioning their gender – a move which was then supported by Labour when they won the election.