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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has decided to enforce an 'indefinite' ban on the sale and supply of puberty blockers via private prescriptions for the treatment of gender incongruence and/or gender dysphoria in under-18s in the UK. This decision follows official advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), which found an "unacceptable safety risk" in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children. The CHM, tasked by the health secretary and Northern Ireland Minister for Health to evaluate the safety of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists for puberty suppression, issued eight recommendations. It advised that a statutory indefinite ban be placed on the use of puberty blockers until its three recommended structures are in place to support safe UK prescribing.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has alerted pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy owners via email regarding new emergency legislation governing the prescribing and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones, commonly known as 'puberty blockers', for children and young people under 18 in England, Wales, and Scotland. The regulations apply to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, used to suppress puberty as part of treating gender incongruence or gender dysphoria in individuals under 18. Effective from 3 June 2024, new private prescriptions for GnRH analogues from prescribers in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland who are not UK registered are banned from being dispensed in Great Britain for patients under 18. The emergency ban on these medicines will remain in effect until September 3, 2024, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced on 29 May, stating that the action has been taken to address risks to "patient safety."

The UK government has extended the restrictions on prescribing and supplying of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, commonly referred to as puberty blockers, for those under 18 until the end of the year. These regulations, initially set to expire on 26 November, prohibit any new under-18 patients from beginning puberty suppression treatment for gender dysphoria outside designated specialist NHS services. The government passed the Medicines (Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Analogues) (Emergency Prohibition) (Extension) (No. 2) Order 2024 on 6 November, citing health safety concerns to prevent potential serious risks. Children and young people under 18 already using these medicines may continue treatment through a UK-registered prescriber, though prescriptions generally require an 'SLS' endorsement by the prescriber. Prescriptions issued after 3 June 2024 by an EEA or Swiss prescriber remain invalid for these purposes.