Queensland must listen to doctors on puberty blockers ahead of its own ‘ideological views’, expert says
Queensland must listen to doctors on puberty blockers ahead of its own ‘ideological views’, expert says
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Comments come after health minister announced on Tuesday a temporary ban on new child patients accessing transgender hormone therapies. The head of the Australian Medical Association’s Queensland branch says the state must listen to doctors ahead of it own “ideological views”, after the government moved to block new child patients from accessing puberty blockers and other transgender hormone therapies.
The health minister, Tim Nicholls, announced the temporary ban on Tuesday, saying potential governance issues at a Cairns clinic had raised “concerns about paediatric gender therapies state-wide”. The Cairns and Hinterland Health and Hospital Service released a statement clarifying that a review had found “process issues” with the clinic, but that there had been no evidence of patient harm.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email. Staff at the clinic reported receiving abuse after the announcement. Dr Nick Yim, president of AMA Queensland, said claims of non-compliance with clinical guidelines should be investigated, but that investigations must be free from political pressures.
“This is a highly sensitive practice area with a unique and vulnerable patient cohort,” he said, “and it is crucial that a knee jerk reaction to an isolated incident does not prevent these patients from accessing the support and care they need. “LGBTQIASB+ patients are at high risk of suicide and self-harm, with a recent Australian Government report showing nearly 75 per cent consider suicide at some point in their life.
