It has been a good week for Brisbane child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Jillian Spencer, bringing an end to a three year ordeal, during which she was suspended, repeatedly reprimanded, and eventually sent a notice of termination.
The health authorities who relentlessly pursued her for questioning gender affirming treatment for children, backed down just as her case was heading for a Supreme Court trial.
On Tuesday, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency(AHPRA) dropped its investigation into her social media posts.
On Friday, her employer, Queensland’s Children’s Hospital (QCH), announced a confidential settlement that formally cleared Dr. Spencer of any wrongdoing and discontinued every disciplinary proceeding against her.
It marked the end of years of stressful litigation, negotiations, and professional challenges for Dr Spencer.
“MEDICAL WHISTLEBLOWING IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL EXTREME SPORT”
“I’ve been exonerated. My name has been cleared, and I can hold my head high.” she said in reaction to the outcome.
“I think of medical whistleblowing as a psychological extreme sport,” she told The Australian.
“But I’m very proud of having fought hard for this because I think it’s worth it.”
But she was scathing about the lack of support.
“It’s shown us that there is an unwillingness among doctors to support colleagues who are doing the right thing publicly, to raise concerns about a medical scandal.”
“This leads to people who are brave enough to do it, taking all the heat on behalf of the profession.”
PERSECUTED FOR HER VIEWS ON TREATING CHILDREN WITH GENDER CONFUSION
Dr. Spencer was a senior staff specialist in the QCH consultation liaison psychiatry team before her suspension in 2023 after questioning the state’s gender service policy a year earlier.
She feared the gender affirming care model was allowing young people with complex medical issues to be placed on a pre-determined treatment pathway and prescribed cross-sex hormones without being offered other care options.
The psychiatrist argued that children presenting with gender distress should be thoroughly assessed – including for other mental health conditions – before being placed on a pathway toward puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
She objected to recording a child’s stated gender rather than their sex in medical records.
She would not affirm a child’s identity automatically, against her own clinical judgement.
WHAT THE HOSPITAL CONCEDED IN THE SETTLEMENT
As part of the settlement, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CHQ HHS) issued a statement acknowledging the “legitimate concerns” raised by the experienced psychiatrist and the importance of professional and public debate on patient safety and clinical outcomes:
“Dr. Spencer has been a strong advocate for change in Queensland in the model of care for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria.”
“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.”
“CHQ HHS accepts that Dr. Spencer’s concerns were grounded in her training and background as an experienced child and adolescent psychiatrist.
STUNNING BACKFLIP BY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
The hospital statement continued:
“CHQ HHS acknowledges 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 predetermined treatment pathway.”
“Health practitioners must employ a holistic clinical approach that comprehensively assesses all relevant factors – including any comorbidities 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.”
David Miklos writes in a blog for the Australian Christian Lobby: “Read that list again. Every proposition on it was, three years ago, sufficient grounds to end a psychiatrist’s career at that hospital. “
“Today they are the health service’s own stated position.”
THOSE WHO ACTED AGAINST DR SPENCER HAVE NOT BEEN HELD TO ACCOUNT
“Nobody has been held to account,” David Miklos observed.
“Those who suspended Dr. Spencer and reprimanded her remain where they are.”
“She is in private practice now. Her place at the hospital has not been returned to her.”
The official version is that Dr. Spencer resigned and the statement wished her well in her future endeavours.
“MEDICAL PROFESSION IS DANGEROUSLY SILENT ON A POLITICAL MOVEMENT TAKING OVER PATIENT CARE”
Dr. Spencer said she hoped the statement by CHQ HHS would be a national catalyst for change amid emerging international research identifying harmful outcomes for young people treated under a gender-affirming model.
However, she noted health systems are often hamstrung by the political class aligning itself with ideology.
“I thought medicine was all about understanding the research and applying that to patient care,” Dr Spencer said.
“That is the job, and what this situation has suggested is that instead, we have to follow the directives of a political movement who have goals for society that are different from the goal of delivering evidence-based and safe patient care.”
“I find it incredibly dangerous to think that the medical profession can remain silent in the face of a political movement taking over patient care.”
HRLA: VINDICATION FOR CARE OF CHILDREN AND RIGHTS OF DOCTORS
The Human Rights Law Alliance (HRLA) which acted for Dr. Spencer welcomed the settlement.
Principal lawyer John Steenhof said the outcome was “vindication” for the care of children and rights of doctors against “ideological coercion”.
“Doctors must be free to exercise independent clinical judgment and speak honestly about patient safety concerns.”
“[They must be free] to pursue what they believe to be the best interests of their patients without fear of disciplinary retaliation,” he said.
DR SPENCER REMAINS A LONE VOICE QUESTIONING CHILD GENDER CARE
Dr. Spencer will remain a lone voice speaking out against the accepted model.
“It really just leaves me,” she conceded.
“All the risk accumulates upon me on behalf of my profession when really it’s a collective responsibility.”
“What we really need is for AHPRA to be brought to heel in this regard.”
“They should be restricted to only investigating complaints from patients.”
“I don’t think they should take a role in policing the discussion of doctors on important medical issues.”
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