A doctor has been fined £14,000 for running an illegal transgender clinic – where she gave sex-change hormones to children as young as 12.

Dr Helen Webberley, 49, ran a private transgender clinic from her home to treat children wanting to swap sexes.

She offered advice online under the name Gender GP and charged between £75 and £150 an hour to patients looking to have ‘gender reassignment’.

Dr Helen Webberley, 49, ran a private transgender clinic from her home to treat children wanting to swap sexes (Picture: Wales News Service)

A court heard Webberley gave hormones to children as young as 12 after the youngsters were denied treatment on the NHS.

Married Webberley was refused a license to operate her gender clinic by medical services watchdog Healthcare Inspectorate Wales last year.

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But her firm operated without a license between March 2017 and February 2018.

A court heard the cross-sex hormone treatment causes permanent body changes and compromises fertility.

On their website in her name, Webberley said: ‘You are never too young or never too old to get help and support.

‘Whether you just need some advice about your thoughts and feelings, would like some safe and affordable care to continue your transition, or whether you are ready to start the whole process then please contact me for advice.’

Webberley, of Monmouthshire, was convicted of illegally providing healthcare services.

She offered advice online under the name Gender GP and charged between £75 and £150 an hour to patients looking to have ‘gender reassignment’ (Picture: Wales News Service)

Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court heard Webberley insisted she was innocent and said shutting her service risked patients coming to harm.

But District Judge Neil Thomas ruled Webberley and her company broke the Care Standards Act.

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Russell Davies, defending, said Webberley set up the company in 2014 after working as a GP, initially launching MyWebDoc.com.

Following a ‘snowballing’ of interest on the transgender treatment, she decided to open a new website.

The site offered specialist advice to transgender patients, a topic Webberley had recently become interested in.

Mr Davies said: .Webberley didn’t set up the company for financial gain or for profit at all.

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‘Here was a doctor who was providing care, information and advice that was very much needed. But her business was not registered.

‘It was never anticipated by Webberley that the registration of the company would be in any way controversial.

‘She didn’t appreciate that the company needed registration until it was pointed out to her.

The site offered specialist advice to transgender patients, a topic Webberley had recently become interested in (Picture: Wales News Service)

‘Webberley always followed the international guidelines for transgender care, but what she didn’t do was to state how many patients there were, how old they were and what treatment was included.

‘It is regrettable that she didn’t provide that information. She didn’t provide it due to confidentiality and that was misplaced.’

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Mr Davies said Webberley continued to run the company despite being ordered to cease her practice because she didn’t want to risk stopping patients’ treatments.

District Judge Neale Thomas ordered Webberley to pay a £12,000 fine as well as a £2,000 fine issued to her GenderGP buisness.

Dr Webberley was also told to pay £11,307 costs.

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Judge Thomas said: ‘In this case there seems to be a clear refusal to follow the law and that is a significant aggravating factor.

‘Webberley was a doctor of considerable experience. The court has to regard this offence as serious.’