Trans Safety Network are concerned to see that NHS England have committed to expanding the role of the National Research Oversight Board for Children and Young People’s Gender Services to cover audit and research for adult patients too. We have previously raised concerns about its chair, Simon Wessley.
Other members of the board are associated with the anti-trans group CAN-SG and SPLC listed hate group SEGM. A 2025 FOI asking for minutes and associated documents for the CYPGS Research Oversight Board revealed a communications strategy that suggested CYP clinicians should “possibly participate” in conferences hosted by SEGM and CAN-SG, whilst only mentioning WPATH and BAGIS conferences “for awareness”.
Beyond this, to our knowledge no members of this group have experience working with adult transgender people. As such, it is unclear why they have been chosen to audit and choose research priorities for transgender adults. We believe it will be hard for patients to feel as if their best interests will be considered during audits and research recommendations due to the associated baggage and lack of expertise.
In light of this, Trans Safety Network strongly suggests all transgender people in England consider opting out of their healthcare data being used for research. This can be done via the following links, the first to stop GP records being shared and the second to stop secondary care records being shared.
We also suggest you email your GIC the following to ensure your opt-out is clear and ask to have a note of this added to your care record. I do not give my permission for any aspect of my patient data to be submitted to, or collected for, the purpose of any research or non local audit without my express permission in writing being obtained in advance.
Emails should include your name, DOB and NHS Number to assist your GIC admin in finding your record. If you have been referred but not been seen by a GIC, you can still contact the GIC you were referred to.