Brighton GP Clinic Prescribed Gender Drugs to Dozens of Children Without Proper Checks

A year-long NHS safety investigation has found that a Brighton GP practice, WellBN, inappropriately prescribed gender-affirming medication to dozens of children, including some under 13 years old. The inquiry concluded that 78 young patients were potentially harmed after receiving puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones without proper clinical checks.

The investigation revealed that over 20 children were given medication without a face-to-face appointment between February 2023 and December 2025. Dr Christopher Tibbs, regional medical director for NHS England, stated that young people faced a “high risk of harm” because clinicians provided “specialist diagnosis, care and treatment that they were neither qualified, nor commissioned to deliver”.

Inadequate Oversight and Patient Harm

Data from the report indicates that 44 children aged 16 and under received drugs designed to delay or suppress puberty, with 12 of these children being under the age of 13, including one aged 11. Additionally, 51 children aged 16 and under, four of whom were under 13, were prescribed cross-sex hormones. These medications can lead to irreversible physical changes such as a deeper voice or breast development.

A civil legal case was initiated against the clinic and the NHS, and several families raised complaints, prompting the independent investigation in June 2025. One father reported that his 16-year-old child received hormones without his knowledge, describing the situation as a “medical scandal”. Another parent discovered his daughter was given testosterone shortly after her 16th birthday, feeling families were pressured into accepting treatment or facing “suspicion and ostracism”. The report also noted that 53 of the 78 cases reviewed involved possible neuro-developmental issues, suggesting a potential failure to address wider health needs.

WellBN, which established a transgender health hub in Brighton in 2020, stated on its website that it recognised “the seriousness and sensitivity of the matters raised” and remained committed to providing “compassionate, safe and effective care”. NHS England has instructed the clinic to cease new prescriptions for children and has referred several current and former clinicians to medical regulators, with one doctor suspended from NHS GP work.

Broader Regulatory Context

This development follows a landmark review by paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass in April 2024, which concluded that the scientific evidence for treating children with gender-affirming medication was “remarkably weak”. This led to a UK-wide ban on new prescriptions of puberty blockers for gender-questioning children outside of clinical trials. Furthermore, NHS England tightened rules around cross-sex hormones in 2024, requiring “extreme caution” for prescriptions to young people aged 16 and above, and subsequently paused new prescriptions for 16- and 17-year-olds completely in March 2026 pending a public consultation.