Parliamentary letter on gender-affirming care for minors (Netherlands, 2024)
On 4 June 2024, Minister for Medical Care Dijkstra sent a letter to the House of Representatives about gender-affirming care for minors in the Netherlands. The House had requested a response to the final report of the Cass Review and the implementation of motions adopted by MPs Van Dijk (SGP) and Hertzberger (NSC).
What it says
The letter summarises the findings of the Cass Review and includes responses from the university medical centres. Radboudumc and Amsterdam UMC write that they endorse the recommendations on how care should be organised. The minister states that the situation in the United Kingdom cannot be directly compared with that in the Netherlands, and that it is up to science and the healthcare sector to determine what constitutes good transgender care. Where relevant to the Netherlands, the conclusions of the Cass Review will be taken into account in the revision of the Quality Standard for Somatic Transgender Care.
Implications
To implement the motions, the minister asked the Health Council of the Netherlands for advice on, among other things, the health outcomes of treatment according to the Dutch Protocol and the legal framework governing healthcare. That advice was published on 30 June 2026.
The two motions
The letter is included in the parliamentary documents as number 372 in dossier 31016. The motion by Diederik van Dijk (SGP) called on the government to ask the Health Council for advice on whether the current treatment of minors fits within the legal framework governing healthcare. Hertzberger’s (NSC) motion called for research into physical and psychological health outcomes following treatment according to the Dutch Protocol, compared with European cohorts where a different standard of care applies. MP Van Meijeren (FVD) had also requested a response to the Cass Review in April 2024.
Differences from the United Kingdom
The minister points out that the Cass Review itself identifies differences between the Dutch approach and the way the Tavistock clinic operated, particularly regarding multidisciplinary care and long-term psychological support. Radboudumc notes that the Cass Review does not recommend banning puberty blockers, but rather their careful use within research. Amsterdam UMC acknowledges that access to care is limited and that waiting lists are long. The letter further reports that the evaluation of the quality standard by the Knowledge Institute of the Federation of Medical Specialists was completed on 5 April 2024 and that, among other things, the sections on children and adolescents and on hormone treatment are being revised.
The Health Council’s advice
In its advice, Gender-affirming care for young people, the Health Council concludes that this care fits within the legal framework governing healthcare. According to the Council, hormone treatments achieve their physical objectives and research also shows that they improve mental health. Side effects are possible, but the Council sees no reason not to offer the treatment. This assessment is less cautious than that of the Swedish authorities, described in the SBU report. An overview of other countries can be found under country policies.