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Time to Think

The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock’s Gender Service for Children

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Time to Think

By: Hannah Barnes
Narrated by: Hannah Barnes
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About this listen

 UPDATED WITH A NEW CHAPTER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING

'This is what journalism is for' - Observer

Time to Think goes behind the headlines to reveal the truth about the NHS's flagship gender service for children.

The Tavistock's Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) was set up initially to provide talking therapies to young people who were questioning their gender identity.

But in the last decade GIDS referred around two thousand children, some as young as nine years old, for medication to block their puberty. In the same period, the number of referrals exploded and the profile of the patients changed: from largely pre-pubescent boys to mostly adolescent girls, who were often contending with other difficulties. Was there enough clinical evidence to justify such profound medical interventions?

This urgent, scrupulous and dramatic book explains how GIDS has been the site of a serious medical scandal, in which ideological concerns took priority over clinical practice. It is a disturbing and gripping parable for our times.©2023 Hannah Barnes (P)2023 Swift Press Audio Gender Studies Social Sciences Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant  
A great listen, clearly lays out the journey GIDS has been on and why it ultimately needed to close to be replaced by something more fit for purpose
Compassionately deals with the stories of children who have needed to use the service, both successfully and those that were let down

Clear, factual and compassionate

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Hannah Barnes has written a brilliant book, explaining the many complexities of the Tavistock and GIDS Disaster. There is a great deal to learn from this story, in a great many areas - Child safeguarding. The importance of having an evidence base for medical treatment. Taking notice of whistleblowers. This book should be read by every person who has the responsibility of safeguarding children and the vulnerable.

An Extraordinary Book

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Barnes sets out the story of the Tavistock Clinic and GIDS step by step in a beautifully wrought narrative drawing upon the experiences and concerns of a great many staff and patients involved in this particularly controversial branch or experimental medicine. Medical intervention in the treatment of young people presenting with gender identity problems remains a hugely controversial topic and if anything will become more so - this book is of huge value in equipping the reader with an account of what can happen in the name of medicine. Barnes writes with great compassion throughout, emphasising both the good and the bad, stressing the dedication, humanity and concern of many of the clinicians towards their young patients whilst never losing sight of the nature of the treatment. A brilliant, well balanced and insightful book, beautifully and clearly narrated

An excellent listen

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I’m not expert or particularly informed about the issues discussed in this book. However, as a piece of writing alone it appears to be a very considerable achievement. Beautifully paced, lucid and well organised. I think I know a good deal more now than when I began to listen. Very well read too!

Quite an achievement

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Time to Think is an important book that raises serious questions about the provision of gender identity services for children. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in this complex issue.

Fascinating and horrifying in equal measures

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Hannah Barnes undertook a Herculean task and she nailed it. This book lays bare many mechanisms that work in people and in organisations that let things go awry and persist - down a pathway that is destructive and dangerous. Really well done.

Thorough and nuanced

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Great book, well presented, shows clearly that no matter where you stand on the subject, we definitely need to review it in a calm psychological way! Poor children!

Unbiased and incredibly important

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What a clear, excellently researched book this is. Couldn’t stop listening. It is utterly jaw dropping in so many ways. This is a scandal waiting to explode!

Riveting

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The best resource so far on what is clearly and under researched and experimental pathway for children.

A ‘must listen’

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The author has laid out a very well reasoned and evidenced argument and the book, narration and information are among the best I’ve heard.

The material itself should be listened to by anyone who has an interest in the Trans conversation. Having listened to the travesty of immoral practices conducted across the US by supposed medical professionals it’s reassuring to hear that such lunacy will never happen again in the UK.

There are some demons in the story but this book is not a witch hunt with an agenda. Rather it simply presents the facts and the truth - something that has so far been missed from any of these conversations.

A very sad story excellently told

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