Queensland Children’s Hospital and Health Service (CHQ HHS) has settled its long-running dispute with psychiatrist, Dr Jillian Spencer, who told a forum she “enjoyed pulling down” transgender pride flags in a mental health waiting room.
CHQ HHS confirmed in a statement that Dr Spencer had concluded her employment with them.
Dr Spencer, who was initially stood down from her position at QCH in 2023, was told that it’s not appropriate for her to return to “any workplace”.
A confidential letter obtained by The Courier Mail cited “significant concerns” about allegations made against Spencer and her ability to work with colleagues following remarks Spencer made at a forum in the New South Wales Parliament House.
“I enjoyed pulling down the transgender pride flags in the mental health waiting room,” she told the forum. “Walking past those damn transpride flags every day and talking to people wearing the rainbow lanyards and pronoun badges was de-spiriting.
“Listening to clinicians carefully using a child’s preferred pronouns when discussing cases with me generated disconnection from my workmates.”
The conduct was widely condemned.
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CHQ HHS have been in dispute with Dr Spencer since 2022
Spencer was first suspended from clinical duties in April 2023.
She had alleged that the hospital was prescribing puberty blockers too quickly and without sufficient psychological assessment.
Since then, an independent review panel, led by Queensland psychiatrist and associate professor John Allan, found the service to be safe with “no evidence of children, adolescents or their families being hurried or coerced into making decisions about medical intervention”.
Spencer faced an investigation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) into her conduct, including her social media comments, which was dropped on Tuesday.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) has publicly rejected Spencer’s views. Spencer failed in her bid to become President of the RANZCP, with a majority of psychiatrists voting for a candidate supportive of gender-affirming care.
CHQ HHS’s statement was part of the dispute settlement.
“The CHQ HHS acknowledges that these are matters of legitimate professional and public debate, and that clinicians play an important role in raising concerns about patient safety and clinical practice.”
“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.”
QLD pause young trans people’s access to puberty blockers
In January 2025, Queensland’s LNP Health Minister Tim Nicholls announced the immediate “pause” and review of stage one and two hormone therapies for children and adolescents with gender dysphoria.
“The review will encourage the participation of clinicians and professionals with relevant expertise, as well as young people with lived experience and their families,” he said. “While this review is taking place, there is a need to maintain confidence in the public health services. A binding health service directive will immediately pause the prescription of stage one and stage two hormone therapies to new patients in Queensland Health facilities.”
This pause meant that no new patients under 18 could receive hormone therapies in Queensland’s public health system, with more than 400 young Queenslanders on lengthy waiting lists for treatment.
Transgender advocates, as well as peak healthcare bodies, including the Australian Medical Association, widely criticised the decision as dangerous and ideologically motivated.
Minister Tim Nicholls announced the pause “will remain in place until the results of the PATHWAYS TRIAL in the United Kingdom are known in 2031.”
A 2 February rally in Brisbane protesting the Queensland Government’s ban. Photo: Jordan Hirst.Eleven months later, the Northern Territory government banned puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormone therapy for transgender children.
NT Health Minister Steve Edgington said that public health system access to the gender-affirming treatments would “cease” for under-18s, claiming the Territory’s decision is in the interests of “child safety” and follows a step with Queensland.
Both Queensland and Northern Territory bans have been highly criticised for being politically motivated instead of following national guidelines for trans and gender diverse healthcare.
All matters and disciplinary proceedings are ‘discontinued’
In their statement, CHQ HHS said it wished Dr Spencer “well in her future endeavours”, confirming that all matters and disciplinary proceedings had been “discontinued”.
“CHQ HHS also acknowledges Dr Spencer’s service and her contributions to child and adolescent psychiatry during her tenure,” the statement read.
And acknowledged 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 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.”
Dr Spencer said she was “vindicated” by the end of these disputes on Twitter/X.
“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.”
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