THE NHS Tavistock gender clinic is facing legal action for failing to disclose information about its affiliation with the transgender charity Mermaids.
Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), the only clinic in the UK exclusively for helping children and teenagers with their gender identities, is at the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust in North London.
It is a nationally commissioned service for children and young people who experience difficulties in the development of their gender identity. This includes children who are unhappy with their biological sex.
According to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the Trust has been given until the end of the week to reply to claims that it concealed information regarding its connections to Mermaids that was requested by a parent under the Freedom of Information Act.
Failure to do so might result in the case being referred to the High Court, where the Trust could be penalised if found to be in contempt of court.
Susie Green, the former chief executive of Mermaids, and the Trust personnel were the recipients of the requested information in regard to emails received between 2014 and 2018, as well as any relevant meeting minutes, documents, or notes.
The Tavistock and Portman Trust first refused to disclose the information as part of a law that permits them to decline requests “which have the potential to cause a disproportionate or unjustified level of disruption, irritation, or distress”.
However, when the ICO questioned this, the Trust asserted that it did indeed possess the data pertaining to the controversial charity, which has been accused of pressuring staff to transition children.
The Trust was given a deadline to react or risk legal action after the ICO determined “on the balance of probabilities” that it did contain pertinent emails, as reported by The Telegraph.
“We have noted the ICO’s recent decision and are proactively working toward supplying the relevant data before the deadline,” a trust representative said.
A fine may be imposed for intentionally destroying, changing, or deleting material obtained through a FOI request.
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