A Brighton GP surgery is at the centre of an explosive NHS investigation after more than a hundred children were prescribed powerful cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers, potentially in breach of national rules designed to protect them.
NHS England has launched a major inquiry into the WellBN general practice after it emerged the surgery had issued puberty-suppressing drugs and feminising or masculinising hormones to as many as 139 under-18s despite having no authority to do so.
The treatments, which include testosterone, oestrogen as well as drugs to suppress sex hormones, are now known to carry risks of serious harm if given without full clinical assessment from a team of specialists, psychological support, and long-term monitoring - all required under strict new NHS protocols following the landmark Cass Review into gender services.
Officials say some young patients may have received irreversible medical interventions without specialist input from child specialists or mental health professionals - a possible breach of NHS guidance and a potential safeguarding concern.
“This is a huge breach of trust,” said one senior NHS source. “These were vulnerable children, many may have had underlying mental health conditions, neurodiversity, or trauma – and they were given powerful drugs outside any regulated NHS service.”
An NHS document obtained by GB News states that WellBN was not authorised to treat under-18s for gender-related care and had no commissioned service in place for this cohort.
The surgery was only permitted to provide care to over-18s under a local scheme.
Instead, children were given drugs usually reserved for use under extreme caution - and only after referral to one of three national NHS gender hubs launched after the closure of the controversial Tavistock clinic in March 2024.
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|WellBN clinic in Brighton
Among the most alarming findings in the document:
- 35 children under 18 were prescribed testosterone, including 19 aged just 15–17.
- 37 were prescribed oestrogen, with 22 between 15 and 17.
- 59 children were given puberty-blocking (GnRH analogues), including 18 aged 13–14.
The NHS document has blacked out the number of children given gender drugs who were under 13.
Some received drugs with known risks of infertility, bone damage and cognitive impairment without fertility counselling or consent checks.
The NHS document states: “The absence of advice or support from paediatric and/or child mental health clinicians with expertise... increases the risk of physical harms... and risks a premature and inexorable commitment to a medical pathway with potentially irreversible effects.”
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|NHS launches probe into GP practice
The inquiry will now assess the extent of harm, investigate any breaches of the law, and consider whether referrals to the police or professional regulators are needed.
Paul Conrathe, a prominent human rights lawyer, has brought a judicial review of WellBN over its gender services, which he says failed to follow the Cass Review’s recommendations.
Speaking to GB News, Conrathe said: “This is an appalling betrayal of the duty of care owed to children.
“The Cass Review was clear – caution must be the default, not the exception. But under the NHS, care was given to vulnerable children without proper safeguards and without proper consent.”
He added: “This clinic has been prescribing these drugs for several years. These numbers in the NHS document could be just the tip of the iceberg.”
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|Paul Conrathe has brought a judicial review of WellBN over its gender services
Under NHS rules, puberty blockers are no longer part of commissioned care for children, and hormone treatments are only allowed for those aged 16+ under specialist oversight. Yet, according to the NHS document, it seems the Brighton surgery issued drugs even to 13-year-olds.
Families will be contacted in the coming weeks and offered psychological support. Some may be referred for safeguarding assessments or medical reassessment by NHS specialists.
A single point of contact has been established for affected families.
The Cass Review – led by Dr Hilary Cass – found that gender distress in children is often rooted in complex psychological, emotional or social issues, and warned against rushing into medicalisation. It stated that irreversible treatments should only follow lengthy, holistic assessments.
Critics now fear that dozens of young patients at WellBN were deprived of that process.
A spokesman for NHS Sussex said: “Following recent concerns raised about some prescribing for children by WellBN in Brighton and Hove, that may fall outside of national clinical policy and guidance, we are working with NHS England to carry out an urgent investigation into this activity to determine the most appropriate offer of NHS care for these patients.”
A spokeswoman for WellBN said: “At WellBN, we provide care for our trans and non-binary patients through an informed consent model, which is internationally recognised for reducing distress in this vulnerable group.
“Our commissioners support us in caring for trans and non-binary individuals aged 17 and over, while currently we are not able to offer the same approach to younger people.
“Our children’s service is grounded in core medical ethics, including respect for bodily autonomy and the right to make informed choices.
“The treatments we offer (if any) are intended to alleviate distress while minimising potential harm, and they are fully reversible.
“It’s important that these children and young people receive care that is free from discrimination and harm. Our service is committed to providing the compassionate, supportive care they need.”