First Do No Harm
Critical perspectives on sex and gender in healthcare
With over 150 attendees, and hundreds from across the world joining the livestream, #FirstDoNoHarm was a resounding success. The sold-out event platformed and hosted clinicians and patients from around the UK, Europe and the US.
In the media
THE BMJ I The Telegraph (front page) I The Daily Mail I Pulse I The MORNIng STar
Our speakers
“We are delighted to be able to present this conference, which we have put on in the face of considerable opposition, from attempts at cancellation to the protest outside. We have not been discouraged. In fact we are proud to be putting on such a timely conference and we ask why the medical professional bodies such as the royal colleges have not done so – many clinicians are keen to explore and discuss this topic in more depth as it is featuring more frequently in their daily practice. They want to be able to practice safe, evidence-based care.
Dr Louise Irvine CAN-SG co chair
For these clinicians, this is a wonderful opportunity to network, share expertise and uphold the primary
medical ethical principle of First Do No Harm”.
It is such a pleasure to be here and to witness this important, sold out, conference take place, take place here, and with such a significant, timely and historic title First Do No Harm. Patients (and their family) need confidence that any advice, intervention, or therapy is in the long-term interests of the child/young person.
Reliable, peer-reviewed data and discussion is the lifeblood of improving medicine and therapy. Both as a patient champion, but also a legislator involved in relevant emerging law, practice, and guidance – I am against any closing off of normal medical practice, (with its full and frank debate, and dissemination of best evidence), in the name of a particular religion, ideology or belief system. Or, even worse, closed down because of bullying and intimidation.
There will be differences of opinion heard today. But that is the nature of scientific advancements. At every stage, the patient’s best interests must come first. And I know that will guide you for the next few hours whilst my hope is that this will be just the first of many such conferences. I wish you well and I am delighted and privileged to be with you today.”
Baroness Dianne Hayter
In the first session we heard from Professor Riittakerttu Kaltiala, Chief of Adolescent psychiatry at Tampere University Finland, and founder of one of the first gender clinics for adolescents in Finland.
Prof Kaltiala has just been awarded Finland’s most prestigious medical prize for her work in adolescent psychiatry. Riittakerttu spoke of her journey from being a proponent of the “Dutch protocol” (using puberty blockers, hormones and surgery) to raising questions leading to ground-breaking research. Research resulting in significant change in Finnish policy away from medication and towards prioritising psychological interventions.
Professor Michael Biggs, Professor Susan Bewley, Dr Margaret McCartney, Dr Anna Hutchinson, and Professor Richard Byng spoke to the principles of evidence based healthcare and how we can develop safe effective evidence-based services for children and young adults with gender related distress
After lunch the conference addressed issues surrounding safeguarding of children and young people in health care and education. Thank you to Sonia Appleby, the former Safeguarding Children Lead at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust; Dr Jane Martin retired psychiatrist and former
teacher; and Rachel Cashman of PHSEBrighton (speaking from a parent’s perspective).
In the final session Dr Az Hakeem, Ritchie Herron and Stella O’Malley spoke about the harms from affirmative medical and surgical interventions and the healthcare needs of people who have gone through such treatment and have come to regret it. Ritchie spoke very movingly from the patient’s perspective.
Thank you to our speakers, attendees, 30 Euston Square staff, and our security staff for ensuring that First Do No Harm – Critical Perspectives of sex and gender in healthcare 2024 was such a success.
We acknowledge that this is a sensitive and emerging area of medicine; a complex area that crosses specialities. In this respect our conference is medical ‘business as usual’: drawing on clinical experience and the available data to formulate best practice and plan further research. We refute in the strongest possible terms that we are, or in any way support, conversion therapists or practices. We view these accusations as defamatory, misplaced, irresponsible, and contrary to our growing body of work.
Protests
Yesterday, our venue was surrounded by masked activists. The protestors chanted ‘CAN-SG do harm’, causing distress to attendees and hotel guests, and had the impact of inciting violence against our organisation and attendees. At 9.45 masked activists surrounded the venue entrance, stopping safe entry or exit.
Smoke bombs were thrown into the building causing distress and confusion and the masked individuals proceeded to push through the metal gates and into the foyer lobby attempting to ‘storm’ the building. In this process they took the boot off the foot of a female security officer.
When in the lobby foyer they continued to push into the building. Security officers sustained a series of injuries.
It took our team of security officers and the assistance of a group of contracted builders (who happened to be on site) to secure the entrance and maintain the safety of the hotel guests, staff and conference attendees. We can only assume the intention of storming the building was let off more smoke bombs and intimidate, disrupt the conference and threaten attendees.
Thank you to the venue for working with us to make extensive security arrangements and supporting considerable forward planning with the Met police. This planning ensured the conference was able to go ahead.
We support the right to peaceful protest but urge those involved with the violence to please think twice. It is not acceptable to subject others to threats, trauma, intimidation or injury.
We look forward to a time when those who disagree with us choose instead to come to our events and discuss the issues, rather than to stand outside shouting falsehoods.
Dr Hannah Ryan CAN-SG Sec
We ask that our medical institutions, the Royal Colleges and similar, now step in and join the urgent conversation that we have started. We can not allow the practice of developing safe care to be undermined in this way. Doctors and clinical staff must be allowed to critically discuss and develop practice. When we fail to do this it is our patients, and especially our most vulnerable patients, who bear the scars.
Again, thank you to everyone who made yesterday such a dynamic and vital event. For those in the room, to those watching the live stream. The conference has been filmed and will be free to view in the coming week. To stay up to date please follow our socials and subscribe to our newsletter.