This article was originally published by QNews. You can find the original article here.
The Australian government has announced an expert national review of healthcare for trans and gender-diverse Australians, as backlash grows over the Queensland government suspending hormone treatments for young people.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the review would develop new national guidelines for the treatment of trans and gender-diverse children and adolescents in Australia.
He said on Friday the review would be “driven by evidence” and informed by “public consultation and international work”.
“Governments also have a clear responsibility to ensure Australians are receiving the best medical advice and care available,” he said.
“That responsibility is especially important when it comes to the care of highly vulnerable children and adolescents.
“Two weeks ago, I sought advice from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Therapeutic Goods Administration on the current provision of care for trans and gender-diverse Australian children and adolescents.
“After considering that advice, I have asked the NHMRC to undertake a comprehensive review of the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for trans and gender diverse children and adolescents in Australia and to develop new national guidelines.”
Expert review will guide all states and territories
Earlier this week Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls announced the state government was suspending prescriptions of puberty blockers and hormones while a separate state review was underway.
New patients in the state under 18 can’t access the treatments in the public health system until the review is completed.
But the ban has sparked anguish and backlash and has been widely criticised as dangerous and ideologically-motivated.
Mark Butler explained the provision of public gender services to trans youth is “exclusively led by states and territories”.
“[They] are responsible for the relevant services and employ the relevant clinicians,” he said.
“But the NHMRC is the nation’s leading expert body in health and medical research and has a statutory responsibility for developing and supporting high-quality guidelines for clinical practice.
“It is imperative there is community confidence that Australian children, adolescents and their families are receiving the most appropriate care.
“The guidelines will be developed in accordance with the NHMRC’s Standards for Guidelines and the international GRADE approach.
“The NHMRC will develop the guidelines with an expert committee that includes lived experience and will be informed by public consultation, and international work.”
‘Gender care should be nationally consistent’
Mark Butler warned gender care was no place to “play politics” and called on Tim Nicholls to suspend the Queensland review.
“I’ve indicated to Minister Nicholls that I don’t think it would be appropriate for Queensland to continue with their stated intention to undertake an evidence review in this area of care,” he said.
He said “these issues should be nationally consistent” and driven by the NHMRC, which is the “preeminent authority”.
“It is certainly best practice to ensure that state governments and private services are operating in accordance with national and consistent clinical guidelines that are issued, or at least approved, by the nation’s preeminent authority in this area,” he said.
Butler added that interim advice on the use of puberty blockers would be completed by mid-2026.
Advocates cautiously welcome new expert review
Nicky Bath, CEO of peak organisation LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, has “cautiously welcomed” Mark Butler’s announcement.
“The review is in line with actions within the National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ People 2025–2035,” she said.
“[It] has been requested by clinicians and provides an opportunity to end individual jurisdictional reviews that can disrupt best practice treatments as we have seen in Queensland.
“The review will be of the highest standard in the hands of the NHMRC.
“While it will be challenging to see this occurring, now is the time to ensure that we contribute to the process, hold it to account and for the best practice gender-affirming care that we know works continue to be delivered to trans and gender-diverse young people across Australia.
“Gender-affirming care saves lives. Nobody wants to see trans and gender diverse young people unable to access the lifesaving medications that they need.”
‘Politicians should not be making medical decisions’
Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown said Queensland must resume access to hormone treatments.
“If care like this was denied in any other context or to any other group of the community people would be outraged and rightly so,” she said.
“This issue should never be an ideological debate or a political football.
“Real everyday Australian families are at the centre of this. Parents [of trans children] simply want what every parent wants – for their children to grow up happy and healthy.
“Australia has some of the world’s leading clinicians and experts in transgender healthcare and they work hard to ensure it is informed by the best and most up-to-date scientific evidence.
“Politicians should not be in the business of making medical decisions for young people and families they have never met and whose experience of life are unimaginable to most of them.
“We need to support trans young people based on the best available evidence – not on politics.”
