The NHS is treating nursery-age children who identify as transgender after canning a minimum age limit of seven years old.

Nursery-age toddlers are currently receiving treatment through the health service's specialist gender clinics - despite the NHS having claimed prior that children under seven were "just too young" to be considered to have gender dysphoria.

The health service was set to introduce a minimum age of seven for children to be seen by specialist gender clinics, which was removed after the proposals were put out to consultation.

A source close to the consultation process told The Telegraph that the soon-to-be-abolished NHS England had "caved to the pressure" of trans activists to remove the age limits.

New guidance now shows that children of any age are eligible for these services, with as many as 157 children aged nine or younger having been referred to them.

The children are not given puberty blockers or other powerful drugs at these clinics, and instead receive counselling and therapy along with their families.

The NHS is treating nursery-age children who identify as transgender (file photo)

The NHS previously said that young children showing interest in clothes or toys typical of the opposite sex was "reasonably common behaviour" and "usually not indicative of gender incongruence."

Helen Joyce, director of advocacy for Sex Matters, said: "Research shows that pre-adolescent children who feel confused or distressed by the fact of their sex will usually grow out of this stage if they're sensitively supported, but not when they're encouraged to believe the unscientific notion that everyone has a 'gender identity' that may differ from their sex.

"The question for the new NHS hubs is whether they perpetuate the failed 'affirmation' model of the now-closed GIDS clinic, in which case parents should keep their children well away, or whether they offer genuinely holistic care based on evidence, not ideology.

"If the treatment does more harm than good, the length of the waiting list is irrelevant."

Helen Joyce said children would 'grow out of' gender dysphoria unless they were 'encouraged to believe the unscientific notion that everyone has a 'gender identity'

But Stephanie Davies-Arai, director of Transgender Trend, retorted: "Although it seems unbelievable that children under five are being referred to the new gender hubs, it was a recommendation of the Cass review that children are seen as early as possible.

"This makes sense because parents have been given such bad advice for so long, and may believe their child is 'transgender'.

"Trans lobbyists have told parents that children know their 'gender identity' from age three and there is no harm in 'affirming' a child’s identity.

"It is important that these parents can get proper information and sensible advice from the gender hubs rather than listening to activists."

The current gender services are operated by London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, and University Hospitals Bristol.

A fourth service is planned for the East of England later this year.

Around 250 children have been seen by the new services so far.

Around 250 children have been seen by the new services so far

The waiting list stands at 6,225 children as of the end of March, up 12 per cent from a year earlier.

Average waiting times have increased to more than two years, from 100 weeks to 116.

Professor James Palmer, NHS medical director for specialised services, said children and families "can access mental health support if they need it" while on waiting lists.

"The NHS is now almost halfway through its planned expansion of regional services," he added.

A Department for Health spokesman said: "We are working with NHS England to reform children's gender services in line with the recommendations from the Cass review."

"We've opened three new children and young people's gender services with a fourth anticipated to open later this spring."