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A campaigner was left frustrated when he was told that health bosses would not answer questions about individual cases in public. Adrian Hart, a member of PSHE Brighton, who has previously stood for election to the council, has submitted questions to Brighton and Hove City Council and various committees. He has raised concerns about young people socially transitioning to another gender at school without their parents’ knowledge.
At a meeting of the council’s Health and Wellbeing Board on Tuesday (8 April), he spoke about parents trying to alert the council about their children who, he said, were “typically autistic, female and same-sex attracted”. Mr Hart said that these pupils were “affirmed” at school and socially transitioned. He said: “The logical next step for these pupils has been to seek puberty blockers and/or proceed along a medical pathway to transition.
“While it has been argued that the latest version of the (Trans Toolkit) guidance adheres to legal safeguarding requirements, will the chair meet with PSHE Brighton parents and listen to their truly shocking accounts? “I recognise that neither the board nor BHCC can comment on the ongoing case (referring to an article about a judicial review) but (the article) describes the avenue taken by just of one of many parents whose complaints are well known to, albeit a tiny few, senior people at the council.” A Brighton father’s judicial review is currently with the High Court over the decision by his GP (general practitioner) to prescribe puberty blockers to his teenage child for gender dysphoria. The father believes tha this treatment does not follow the recommendations of the review by the paediatrician Hilary Cass.
Mr Hart also said that there was a “pipeline” of children being transitioned in school and social service settings and being medicalised by the NHS locally with irreversible consequences. He asked if the board backed the Cass review and government policy and would meet with families in similar situations. Labour councillor Faiza Baghoth, who chairs the Health and Wellbeing Board, said that it was not appropriate for the board to consider or comment on individual cases.
Councillor Baghoth said: “Equally, it is not a function of the board to examine your perception of decisions made by medial practitioners or schools. “The role of the chair is to chair meetings where decisions are made by board members. “It does not extend nor would it be within the proper functions of the role of the chair to meet with individuals outside the board to discuss issues specific to them.
” She said that anyone who had an issue or complaint could go through the council’s complaint process, NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board complaints or the Health and Social Care Ombudsman. Mr Hart said that the response was “disgraceful” and was disappointed with the offer of a further written response. Outside the meeting Mr Hart said: “PSHE Brighton are a bunch of ordinary parents who care deeply for their children and for some reason the public sector institutions in Brighton refuse to engage with.
“In no other world would those in service of the public block conversation with those they serve. “It is extraordinary given these parents have evidence of harm caused to them and their children by the actions of the local authority, schools and doctors. Safeguarding only matters when it suits, it seems.
Shocking!”.
