This article was originally published by the Star Observer. You can find the original article here.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and Australian Medical Association have joined other medical and advocacy organisations in criticising the recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors in Queensland.
Alarmed reactions from major medical bodies
The RANZCP has expressed alarm over the blanket nature of Queensland’s policy, stating that “the blanket halt does not allow high quality services in this sensitive practice area to continue to provide evidence-informed care with consent.” The organisation notes that the sudden restriction has caused significant distress to an already vulnerable group.
A statement published by the Queensland branch of the AMA said that they “unequivocally support investigations of alleged non-compliance with clinical guidelines, however, they [the investigations] must be undertaken in good faith by independent experts free from political or other considerations.”
The statement went on to say that “treatment decisions must be made by clinicians based on the science, not ideological or other clinically irrelevant beliefs” and that it is “essential that clinicians working in this field are not further harmed by insensitive and uniformed public discourse about gender services.”
Queensland Government’s ban on gender-affirming care for people under 18
On the 28th of January the Queensland Government ordered an immediate halt on puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones for all new patients under 18, pending an independent review into their use.
The decision immediately sparked concern among advocacy groups, patients, and families, around 150 of whom rallied outside Queensland Health Minister’s Tim Nicholls’ office the day after the announcement was made.
While the government has advised that medical services have only been paused, pending a review, the terms, timeline or scope of such a review have not yet been announced.
Advocates for the trans community worry that this restriction of healthcare won’t end with the children of Queensland but extend into other states and populations.
Questions about the Queensland Government’s proposed review into gender-affirming care
The AMA’s statement argues that “patients across Queensland also cannot be denied access to vital health treatments while investigations are ongoing, particularly where there is no demonstrated evidence of systemic failure.”
AMA Queensland also urged the government to provide clarity on how waitlisted patients will receive treatment and what options remain available for referrals, noting that some children had been waiting to see a doctor for over a year and a half. Under the ban, patients already undergoing treatment will be able to continue it, but those on the waitlist will not be able to start it.
The RANZCP’s statement asks “for reconsideration of the blanket nature of the freeze and [is] seeking clarification with the Government on the next steps in the review process.”
Both statements observe that this decision will have mental and physical health implications for the patients currently in the service, and those on the waitlist.
The Queensland Government has yet to respond to calls for more details on the review or to indicate whether exceptions will be made for urgent cases.
Ban emboldens anti-trans psychiatrists
The ban comes amid ongoing tensions within the psychiatric community over gender-affirming care.
Last year, the RANZCP allowed members of the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) to run a session at their annual conference.
Recently, international clinicians and researchers penned an open letter to the RANZCP, encouraging them to support the nomination of Dr Jillian Spencer, a psychiatrist and outspoken critic of gender-affirming care, for President-Elect of the RANZCP. Spencer, who was stood down from Queensland Children’s Hospital following a complaint from a trans patient, has claimed that gender-affirming models of care are not evidence-based or safe for young people.
These developments follow an earlier letter from a group of anti-trans psychiatrists, including Spencer, calling on the RANZCP to push for an Australian version of the UK’s Cass Review. The letter, signed by figures such as Phillip Morris and Melinda Hill, claimed that the College was not supportive enough of psychiatrists critical of gender-affirming care.
However, the RANZCP firmly rejected the push for an Australian Cass-style review, with President Elizabeth Moore reiterating that being trans or gender diverse is not a mental health condition. The College reaffirmed its support for evidence-based, patient-centred care and maintained that trans and gender-diverse people should have equal access to safe and effective mental health treatment.
