UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Who Banned Puberty Blockers for Minors, Resigns

UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting has resigned. The BBC reported the news, citing Streeting’s resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Streeting stated he had lost confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership following the ruling Labour Party’s poor performance in recent elections.

In his letter, Streeting linked his decision to the election results, which saw Labour lose seats across England while the right-wing populist party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, gained ground. The outgoing health secretary described the rise of nationalists as an “existential threat to the future integrity of the United Kingdom” and argued that remaining in his post under the current leadership would be “dishonourable and unprincipled.”

While Streeting’s resignation statement highlighted his achievements in improving the National Health Service (NHS), it did not mention his policies regarding transgender healthcare, which were among the most prominent during his tenure.

In 2024, Streeting implemented a nationwide ban on prescribing puberty blockers to transgender minors experiencing gender dysphoria. However, cisgender children diagnosed with precocious puberty retained access to the treatment. In 2025, he also considered banning the prescription of hormone replacement therapy for transgender minors in private clinics.

When justifying the puberty blocker ban in 2024, Streeting cited the Cass Review , an independent inquiry into pediatric gender identity services. At the time, he claimed that the prescribing environment posed an “unacceptable risk to safety” and stated that fully implementing the review’s recommendations would improve the well-being of transgender people.

Streeting’s departure was met with approval from parts of the British transgender community, with users on social media and specialized forums expressing relief that he would no longer be shaping government policy.