A psychiatrist who was suspended from the Queensland Children’s Hospital three years ago for criticising the facility’s gender service is no longer employed by the hospital.
Dr Jillian Spencer was stood down in April 2023 after attacking the service over its treatment of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria that included puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
In a statement posted to the Children’s Health Queensland (CHQ) website, the hospital and health service said its disputes with the child and adolescent psychiatrist “have now been settled” and all matters had been resolved by “mutual agreement”.
“Dr Spencer has been a strong advocate for change in Queensland in the model of care for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria,” the statement said.
“One of the features of the clinical approach that Dr Spencer has sought is the delay in medical interventions for such patients until adulthood, including puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, because they are serious decisions regarding their body and long-term health.”
The QCGS was established inside the Queensland Children’s Hospital at South Brisbane in 2017. (ABC News: Dean Caton)
CHQ said it accepted that Dr Spencer’s concerns were “grounded in her training and background as an experienced child and adolescent psychiatrist”.
In a statement Dr Spencer said she had been “vindicated”.
“This is a huge relief, and this victory makes it very clear I never did anything wrong by speaking out and trying to protect children from these harmful interventions,” she said.
“I am relieved the hospital has acknowledged that my concerns were grounded in my training and background as an experienced child and adolescent psychiatrist and that clinicians play an important role in raising concerns about patient safety and clinical practice.”
The statement said Dr Spencer was clear to continue practising as a psychiatrist.
Last year, the Crisafulli government banned the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for new child and adolescent patients with gender dysphoria in the public sector in Queensland, pending the results of a UK trial in 2031.
CHQ acknowledged in Friday’s statement that “health practitioners must take a clinical approach to the treatment of gender dysphoria that focuses on the best available research and the child’s best interests rather than directing a child down a pre-determined treatment pathway”.
“Health practitioners must employ a holistic clinical approach that comprehensively assesses all relevant factors — including any co-morbidities or other mental health conditions — and use information gathered from that process to determine the best available mode of treatment and care for the patient,” the statement said.
The health service acknowledged Dr Spencer’s service and her contributions to child and adolescent psychiatry during her tenure.
All disciplinary proceedings against Dr Spencer have been discontinued.
In September last year, Queensland Health issued Dr Spencer a termination notice. That was placed on hold after she challenged the termination in the Supreme Court.
The terms of the resolution between Children’s Health Queensland and Dr Spencer remain confidential although the health service agreed to post the statement as part of the settlement.
Dr Spencer was employed at the Queensland Children’s Hospital as a senior staff specialist with its consultation liaison psychiatry team, not with the facility’s gender service.
