An ex-transgender woman has welcomed a High Court judge's decision to allow her case against a gender identity clinic to go to trial.
Keira Bell, 23, is taking the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust to court over the gender reassignment treatment she received aged 16. Tavistock runs the UK's only gender-identity development service (GIDS).
She told the BBC that she was prescribed puberty blockers after three one-hour-long appointments and then, a year later, the male hormone testosterone. Three years ago, she underwent breast removal surgery.
She believes that the clinic was wrong to put her on this course of treatment because she was too young to give proper consent, and that the clinic should have investigated her gender dysphoria further.
"I should have been challenged on the proposals or the claims that I was making for myself," she said.
"And I think that would have made a big difference as well. If I was just challenged on the things I was saying."
In granting permission for the trial to go ahead, High Court judge Mr Justice Supperstone said it was "plainly arguable" that the clinic had acted unlawfully in giving children puberty blockers, The Times reports.
She said that the gender reassignment treatment quickly "snowballed" after she was referred to the clinic by her GP.
Bell is being represented by Paul Conrathe of Sinclairslaw, who told the newspaper: "The ruling is a significant step towards establishing protection for vulnerable children from experimental treatment that has lifelong consequences."
Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust said: "We welcome the opportunity to talk about the service and to stand up for our dedicated staff who put the best interests of the young people and families at the heart of their practice."
