England stopped routine puberty blockers for gender distress outside research. PATHWAYS is the NHS-funded research trial led by King’s College London. It is the study pathway for that medicine in this indication. It is not a return of everyday NHS clinic prescribing.
King’s College London says the trial will look at how puberty-suppressing hormones affect the physical, social, and emotional wellbeing of young people with gender incongruence. It is a randomised study. Some participants start the medicine at once. Others start after 12 months. The page says UK law now allows this treatment for gender incongruence in young people only as part of research.
GOV.UK has separately recorded later regulatory pauses, a modified protocol, and court proceedings. Those updates do not change the basic point: routine NHS use remains closed; PATHWAYS is the research exception.
Some clinicians and families have said they want long-term outcomes for people already treated at the former Tavistock service published before a new trial proceeds. That is their concern. It is not a finding on this page.
Official source
- King’s College London: PATHWAYS TRIAL