This article was originally published by Lucy from Naarm. You can find the original article here.
Please carefully consider your needs when reading the following story about suicide and self-harm. If this material raises concerns for you contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or see other ways you can seek help in Australia, US, UK or internationally. —Lucy
Coroner Ingrid Giles handed down findings and recommendations today into the Victorian gender-diverse suicide cluster this morning. The inquest examined the suicides of five trans and gender-diverse Victorians.
Bridget Flack, Natalie Wilson, Heather Pierard, Matt Byrne and AS (psyeduonym).
The coroner was clear about access to healthcare: “Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right.”
“Everyone has the right to highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Indeed the evidence at inquest has demonstrated that the rights of trans and gender diverse people in Victoria are often in peril in the healthcare system.” Victorian Coroner Ingrid Giles said, reading portions of the Inquest’s findings.
“In 2024, it is wholly unacceptable that a trans or gender-diverse person should have to consider which clinicians are safe and which aren’t safe to deal with. There should not be a myriad of horror stories that circulate in the community of what will happen if you go through the wrong door to get support.”
“In 2024 there should be no wrong door in [getting healthcare]. That is the right of every TGD person in Victoria” the Coroner continued.
The Coroner handed down two recommendations applying to transgender healthcare, the first one is for the Department of Health to immediately increase funding for transgender healthcare to get the waiting lists down.
“Monash, Austin, Equinox. These are only publicly funded options, and they simply cannot keep up with demand. Additionally, The Royal Children’s gender service is stretched. Equinox, at the time of the inquest, had closed its waitlist in 2022.” the Coroner noted.
The second recommendation is for the RACGP to develop training for GP’s to deliver healthcare for transgender people, as care is in many cases best delivered by GP’s. This will better enable transgender people to get care the way everyone else does.
There were 8 other recommendations relating to this inquest, including that for Victoria Police to improve services for transgender people and for a restriction on access to specific chemicals used in a number of suicides. We will continue to keep track of these recommendations and the responses to the recommendations.
If this material raises concerns for you, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or find other ways you can seek help in Australia, the US, the UK, or internationally. —Lucy
