GPs are working beyond their competency to provide transgender care, BMA warns

GPs are putting themselves and patients at risk by acting beyond their competency to provide care for transgender patients, the BMA has said.

In response to an NHS England consultation on changes to gender identity services for adults, the BMA warned that GPs were being asked to prescribe specialist drugs that were beyond their expertise.1

It said, “We are concerned both about the safety of patients who are prescribed drugs off licence by a non-specialist prescriber, where there is a potential for harm to the patient and consequent medicolegal risk to GPs.”

Robert Morley, executive secretary of …