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Hilary Cass

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Hilary Dawn Cass, Baroness Cass, OBE, FRCN, FRCGP (born 19 February 1958), is a British paediatrician. She was the chair of the British Academy of Childhood Disability, established the Rett Clinic for children with Rett syndrome, and has worked to develop palliative care for children. She led the Cass Review of gender identity services in England, which was completed in 2024. Cass was appointed to the House of Lords as a crossbench life peer in the same year.

The Right Honourable
The Baroness Cass
OBE FRCP FRCPCH
Cass in 2012
Born (1958-02-19) 19 February 1958 (age 66)
London, England
EducationRoyal Free Hospital Medical School
OccupationPaediatrician
Known for
Medical career
ProfessionPhysician
FieldPaediatric disability
Institutions
ResearchNeurodevelopmental disorders
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 August 2024
Life peerage
Personal details
Political partyCrossbench

Cass is a former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and a honorary physician in paediatric disability at the Evelina Hospital, part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.[1] Prior to Cass's appointment at the Evelina Hospital, she had been consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital for 15 years. Her research and interests have included autistic spectrum disorders, cognitive impairment due to epilepsy, children with visual loss, and care of children with multiple disabilities.

Early life and education

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Hilary Dawn Cass was born on 19 February 1958 in London to Ralph and Mildred Cass.[2] She attended the City of London School for Girls.[3][4] Cass studied at the Royal Free Hospital Medical School, graduating with a degree in medicine in 1982.[5]

Career

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Cass spent her early medical career in a general practice training scheme, during which she changed to paediatrics.[6] From 1992 to 2018, she was a consultant in neurodisability at three tertiary centres in the UK.[1] Her research and interests have included autistic spectrum disorders, cognitive impairment due to epilepsy, children with visual loss, and care of children with multiple disabilities, particularly where there are difficulties with feeding and communication.[5] In this field she has higlighted that medical innovations have resulted in a greater survival rate of children with severe incurable diseases, with the result that there are a greater number of children with severe disabilities.[7]

Rett syndrome

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In 1992 Cass founded the Rett clinic, a national outpatient service for children with the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome, based at the Evelina Hospital, part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.[8][9] She later reported that self-injurious behaviour in Rett Syndrome had a prevalence of 73.8%.[10]

Great Ormond Street Hospital

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From 1994 to 2009 Cass was consultant in paediatric disability at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).[4] There, she was appointed director of Postgraduate Medical Education and held the post of deputy medical director.[5] During that 15-year period she also held some regional and national positions in medical education and policy development, including head of the London School of Paediatrics.[5][11] At GOSH, she authored a book titled Snakes and Ladders, based on a programme she led that used role play to understand patient journeys in the NHS and to teach staff clinical governance skills.[5][12][13] The book addresses communication between doctors and patients, and primary and secondary care.[13] Other topics covered include informed consent, medical negligence, medical paternalism, randomised controlled trials, and unlicensed treatments.[13]

In 2008 she published findings that did not support the opioid excess theory.[14] She reported on a large study she led that found no difference in urinary opioid peptide levels between those with autism and control subjects, and concluded that "opioid peptides can neither serve as a biomedical marker for autism nor be employed to predict or monitor response to a casein- and gluten-free diet".[14][15]

Cass left GOSH after raising concerns about patient safety at the hospital.[16] The hospital denied that she quit over patient safety concerns.[17]

Evelina Hospital

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Cass joined the Evelina Hospital as consultant in 2009.[18] There, she developed palliative care services for children.[1]

Cass Review

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Main article: Cass Review

In September 2020, Cass accepted an appointment to lead the independent Cass Review for the NHS into gender identity services for children and young people.[1][19] The interim report of the Cass Review was published in March 2022.[20] It said that the rise in referrals had led to the staff being overwhelmed, and recommended the creation of a network of regional hubs to provide care and support to young people. The report noted that the clinical approach used by the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) "has not been subjected to some of the usual control measures" typically applied with new treatments, and raised concerns about the lack of data collection by GIDS.[21][22][23] The recommendations resulted in the closure of GIDS.[24] The final report was published on 10 April 2024.[25]

Cass said after the publication of the review that she had received 'vile' emails and that she was not travelling by public transport after receiving security advice. She also said that she would not participate in the forthcoming review of adult gender clinics.[26]

In May 2024, she made her first US media interview, on WBUR-FM's On Point, whom she told "The evidence was disappointingly poor". Cass also responded to WPATH's criticism about prioritising non-medical care, saying the review did not take a position about which is best. Cass hoped that "every young person who walks through the door should be included in some kind of proper research protocol" and for those "where there is a clear, clinical view" that the medical pathway is best will still receive that, and be followed up to eliminate the "black hole of not knowing what's best". On the allegation that the review was predicated on the belief that a trans outcome for a child was the worst outcome, Cass emphasised that a medical pathway, with lifetime implications and treatment, required caution but "it's really important to say that a cis outcome and a trans outcome have equal value".[27]

In an interview with The New York Times in May 2024, Cass said that US doctors were 'out of date' on gender care. However, she also expressed concern that her review was being weaponized to suggest that trans people do not exist, saying "that's really disappointing to me that that happens, because that's absolutely not what we're saying." She also clarified that her review was not about defining what trans means or rolling back health care, stating "There are young people who absolutely benefit from a medical pathway, and we need to make sure that those young people have access — under a research protocol, because we need to improve the research — but not assume that that's the right pathway for everyone."[28]

Other roles

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In 2012 Cass was appointed president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health for a three-year tenure.[29][30] Between 2017 and 2020 she was chair of the British Academy of Childhood Disability.[1] She is a trustee of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, and was formerly chair of the charity Together for Short Lives.[1][9]

Honours and awards

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Cass was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to child health.[31][32] In the same year, she became an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Nursing (FRCN), and in 2016 an honorary fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners (FRCGP).[1]

In the 2024 Dissolution Honours, Cass was nominated for a life peerage as a crossbencher.[33][34][35] She was created Baroness Cass, of Barnet in Greater London, on 22 August 2024.[36]

Personal life

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Cass is Jewish[37] and signed an open letter after the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel affirming her "Jewish values",[37] including endorsing the existence of the State of Israel and a two-state solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[37]

Selected publications

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Papers

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Books

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "The Chair – Cass Review". cass.independent-review.uk. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Cass, Hilary Dawn". Who's Who. A & C Black. 2022. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U258482. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ^ "Dr Hilary Cass OBE". City of London School for Girls. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b Campbell, Denis (4 September 2012). "'We're doing medicine in a really inefficient way,' says RCPCH leader". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Dr Hilary Cass". RCPCH. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  6. ^ Cass, Hilary; Mistry, Ravi (27 March 2013). "Championing children's health". British Medical Journal. 346: f1775. doi:10.1136/sbmj.f1775. ISSN 1756-1833.
  7. ^ Goo, Minjin; Kim, Yujeong (11 March 2024). "Factors affecting nurses' attitude toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for children". Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 77: S0882–5963(24)00085–X. doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2024.03.008. ISSN 1532-8449. PMID 38472026.
  8. ^ "Rett clinic | Evelina London". www.evelinalondon.nhs.uk. St Thomas' Hospital. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Dr Hilary Cass on her new role at Together for Short Lives and the future of children' s palliative care - ehospice". ehospice.com. 15 November 2018. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  10. ^ Furniss, Frederick; Biswas, Asit B. (2020). "3. Neurobiology of self-injurious behaviour: Rett syndrome". Self-Injurious Behavior in Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Conditions. Springer. p. 68. ISBN 978-3-030-36015-3.
  11. ^ Craft, p. 198
  12. ^ Gandhi, V. (July 2006). "The NHS experience: The "Snakes and Ladders" guide for patients and professionals". Arch Dis Child. 91 (7): 625. doi:10.1136/adc.2006.095836 (inactive 1 November 2024). PMC 2082820.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  13. ^ a b c Sanai, Leyla (February 2006). "How to use the NHS". The Lancet. 367 (9511): 642. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68247-0.
  14. ^ a b Keith E., Keith; Field, Douglas G.; Alexander, Chandran P. (2019). "Autism and spectrum disorders and gastrointestinal problems: current state of the research and implications for practice". In Martin, Clarissa; Dovey, Terence (eds.). Paediatric Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Psychosocial Perspective. Taylor and Francis. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-909368-36-1.
  15. ^ Fitzpatrick, Michael (2008). Defeating Autism: A Damaging Delusion. London: Routledge. pp. 198–199. ISBN 978-0-415-44980-9.
  16. ^ Campbell, Denis (26 June 2013). "Great Ormond Street Hospital gagged top doctor after safety fears raised". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  17. ^ "Article in the Guardian". GOSH Hospital site. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Consultant takes office as the president of RCPCH". Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  19. ^ Marsh, Sarah (22 September 2020). "NHS to hold review into gender identity services for children and young people". theguardian.com. Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  20. ^ Freeman, Hadley (2023). "7. Mothers and the woman problem". Good Girls: A Story and Study of Anorexia. New York: Simon and Schuster. pp. 114–118. ISBN 978-1-9821-8983-9.
  21. ^ Brooks, Libby (10 March 2022). "NHS gender identity service for children can't cope with demand, review finds 10 March 2022". The Guardian. Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  22. ^ Bannerman, Lucy (10 March 2022). "Tavistock gender clinic not safe for children, report finds". The Times. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  23. ^ Dyer, Clare (9 April 2024). "Guidelines on gender related treatment flouted standards and overlooked poor evidence, finds Cass review". BMJ. 385: q820. doi:10.1136/bmj.q820. ISSN 1756-1833. PMID 38594040.
  24. ^ Dyer, Clare (1 August 2022). "NHS gender identity service to close and be replaced by regional centres". BMJ. 378: o1916. doi:10.1136/bmj.o1916. ISSN 1756-1833. PMID 35914784.
  25. ^ "Final Report – Cass Review". cass.independent-review.uk. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  26. ^ Gecsoyler, Sammy (20 April 2024). "Hilary Cass warned of threats to safety after 'vile' abuse over NHS gender services review". theguardian.com. Guardian. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  27. ^ "'The evidence was disappointingly poor': The full interview with Dr. Hilary Cass". www.wbur.org. WBUR-FM. 8 May 2024. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Hilary Cass Says U.S. Doctors Are 'Out of Date' on Youth Gender Medicine". The New York Times. 13 May 2024. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  29. ^ Craft, p. 226
  30. ^ "Five minutes with... Dr Hilary Cass, president, Royal College of Paediatrics". The Guardian. 25 May 2012. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  31. ^ "New Year's Honours lists 2015" (PDF). Government of the United Kingdom: Cabinet Office and Foreign Office. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  32. ^ "New year honours 2015: the full list". The Guardian. 30 December 2014. Archived from the original on 13 April 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  33. ^ "No. 64480". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 August 2024. p. 15222.
  34. ^ "Dissolution Peerages 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  35. ^ Whannel, Kate (4 July 2024). "Theresa May and 'bionic' MP awarded peerages". BBC News. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  36. ^ "No. 64500". The London Gazette. 29 August 2024. p. 16662.
  37. ^ a b c Prinsley, Jane (5 July 2024). "Sunak elevates Jewish doctor Hilary Cass to House of Lords in final act of premiership". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 27 July 2024.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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Professional and academic associations
Preceded by President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
2012−2015 		Succeeded by
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