The NHS has been banned from changing children's gender on their medical records after Wes Streeting slammed it for being "completely wrong".
Ahead of the ban, there was no minimum age for a child's sex to be changed on their official records, a review found.
In response, the Health Secretary declared the situation "completely wrong" and urged that "children's safety must come first" after a Government report pointed out "serious safeguarding concerns".
The Sullivan Review discovered that, in one case, NHS authorities allowed one mother to change their baby's sex at just a few weeks old "and the GP had complied".
A review found that a mother was able to change her baby's sex at just a few weeks old
PA
Streeting has since announced that any pending or new applications for gender amendments and new NHS numbers for those under the age of 18 will be paused.
Embracing the move, review author Professor Alice Sullivan has said that she hopes other ministers "will follow suit in due course", the Daily Mail has reported.
As he announced the changes, Streeting said: "Children's safety must come first. It's completely wrong that children's NHS numbers can be changed if they change gender. And I've made it clear this must not happen.
"We must deliver safe and holistic care for both adults and children when it comes to gender, and that also means accurately recording biological sex - not just for research and insight, but also for patient safety.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Defence minister Luke Pollard said Cooper would look into the recommendation 'to make sure that we're keeping the public safe'
PA
"I have always made it clear that doing so does not stop us from recording, recognising and respecting people’s gender identity where these differ.
"As we reform gender identity services across the board, we’ll take forward the serious research this review highlights."
Additionally, the research showed that public bodies started collecting data on gender identity - instead of biological sex - since around 2015.
As a result, people have not been sent sex-specific health check screenings, like cervical cancers screenings and prostate exams - which could lead to "fatal consequences", the review said.
Now, the review has demanded that all public bodies collect data based on sex and that the most important issue was to stop creating new NHS numbers to children and allow changed "gender markers" upon their request.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has been encouraged to make it a requirement for all police authorities to note the sex of offenders - as well as victims - instead of gender in police systems.
The report cited a note in the Police National Computer which revealed it to be "quite possible" than an individual might be released from custody if they had switched gender - causing their offending history to be hidden.
As a result, defence minister Luke Pollard said Cooper would look into the recommendation "to make sure that we're keeping the public safe".
