Investigation Reveals Inappropriate Prescribing at Brighton GP Clinic
An NHS safety investigation has found that dozens of children questioning their gender, including some under 13 years old, were inappropriately prescribed medication by a GP practice in Brighton.
A year-long inquiry into the WellBN clinic determined that 78 young patients were potentially harmed after receiving puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones without appropriate assessments.
Between February 2023 and December 2025, over 20 children were prescribed medication without a face-to-face consultation.
In a statement on its website, WellBN acknowledged "the seriousness and sensitivity of the matters raised" and emphasized its commitment to providing "compassionate, safe and effective care for all patients."
NHS England has instructed the clinic to cease issuing new prescriptions to children and has referred several current and former clinicians to medical regulatory bodies.
One doctor named in the report has been suspended from NHS GP duties pending further investigation.
Dr Christopher Tibbs, regional medical director for NHS England, stated, "Young people were put at a high risk of harm because clinicians provided specialist diagnosis, care and treatment that they were neither qualified, nor commissioned to deliver."
"Under no circumstances should this have happened," he added.
Background of the Trans Health Hub
WellBN established a transgender health hub in Brighton in 2020. By 2025, approximately 2,000 patients of all ages had registered, many from outside Brighton.
The service was created partly in response to extensive waiting times for specialist gender services, of which there are three operating in England.
The investigation, conducted by five independent clinicians appointed by NHS Sussex, commenced in June 2025 following complaints from several families regarding the clinic's services for under-18s and the initiation of a civil legal case against the clinic and NHS.
One father described to the BBC how his 16-year-old child was prescribed hormones without his knowledge, calling it a "medical scandal," while another parent reported feeling suicidal due to the stress caused by the situation.
The final report revealed that from 2023 to late 2025, 78 children under 18 were prescribed gender-related medication by the clinic.
Some children received puberty-delaying or suppressing drugs, while others were prescribed cross-sex hormones, also referred to as masculinising or feminising hormones.
These hormones facilitate the development of physical traits aligned with an individual's identified gender rather than their biological sex, potentially causing irreversible changes such as voice deepening or breast growth.
Data indicated that 44 children aged 16 and under were prescribed puberty-blocking drugs, including 12 children under 13 years old, with one patient as young as 11.
In total, 51 children aged 16 and under, including four under 13, received cross-sex hormones.
The report also noted it was "clearly evident" that staff at the practice had a "genuine desire and commitment to help distressed children" facing long waits for specialist care.
Dr Charlotte Canniff, joint chief medical officer for Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board, stated that most young patients registered at the clinic have now been referred to specialist NHS gender services for treatment.
Families Express Deep Concerns
A coalition of local parents, school governors, and social workers began raising concerns about WellBN in 2023 as part of a broader campaign regarding health education.
Rachel Cashman, co-founder of PSHE Brighton, described the situation as having "ruptured" families, with some parents becoming estranged from their children.
"It's not just the medical damage, but the collateral damage for relationships and families that is far greater than people have ever really thought to examine," she said.
Cashman also highlighted that some children prescribed hormone treatments had diagnoses such as autism and ADHD, and that the focus on gender medication risked overshadowing their broader health needs.
The report found that 53 of the 78 reviewed cases involved possible neuro-developmental issues.
The BBC interviewed three parents of children treated at WellBN, all anonymized for privacy.
One father pursuing legal action against the clinic reported that his 16-year-old son forged his mother's signature to access hormone treatment and was prescribed oestrogen without parental knowledge.
Another parent stated he discovered his daughter was given testosterone shortly after turning 16. He described families as facing an "impossible choice" between consenting to medical treatment or facing "suspicion and ostracism just for asking to slow things down."
A third parent recounted that his daughter, who decided to live as a boy at age 13, attempted to order hormones online. She was prescribed testosterone at WellBN at age 16, which the father had concerns about but considered preferable to online alternatives.
A year later, the daughter discontinued hormone treatment after it "didn't make her happy" and has since resumed living as a girl.
Changes in Treatment Guidelines
In April 2024, a landmark review of gender services led by paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass concluded that the scientific evidence supporting medication treatment for children was "remarkably weak" and recommended a "fundamentally different service model."
This review resulted in a ban on new prescriptions of puberty blockers for gender-questioning children in the UK outside clinical trials, while allowing those already on the medication to continue.
In 2024, NHS England also tightened regulations regarding cross-sex hormone prescriptions.
It stipulated that testosterone and oestrogen should only be prescribed to young people from approximately age 16 with "extreme caution" and only after approval by a national specialist team.
In March 2026, new prescriptions for 16- and 17-year-olds in England were paused entirely pending a public consultation.
WellBN, in a statement on its website, reassured patients that it provides "safe, high-quality care and support to our community."
"We are committed to working closely with NHS partners and regulators to address any recommendations identified within the report and to continue strengthening the services we provide," the statement added.
