A psychiatrist who was suspended from working at the Queensland Children’s Hospital after publicly criticising its approach to treating transgender children has settled her dispute with her former employer.

Dr Jillian Spencer was stood down in 2023 after publicly criticising the hospital, as she called for gender dysphoria treatment such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to be delayed until adulthood.

Spencer is no longer employed by the hospital. As part of the settlement, the health service shared a statement that “acknowledges these are matters of legitimate professional and public debate”.

“Clinicians play an important role in raising concerns about patient safety and clinical practice,” the statement says.

“[The health service] 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 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.”

Spencer said the settlement was a huge relief.

“It’s a victory that makes it very clear I never did anything wrong by speaking out and trying to protect children from 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.

“What this says is doctors and the public should not be silenced and should not be punished for raising concerns about medical intervention, the use of puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones.”

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s investigation into Spencer’s social media posts about gender dysphoria treatment has now ceased, and she has been cleared to continue practicing as a psychiatrist.

The health service statement said all matters had been resolved by mutual agreement, and all disciplinary proceedings had been discontinued.

It said the terms of the resolution were confidential.

Queensland Health’s approach to treating transgender children remains politically contentious.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls announced a pause on stage 1 puberty blockers and stage 2 hormone therapies for children with gender dysphoria and a review of publicly funded services in January 2025.

While the legality of the directive was successfully challenged in the Supreme Court in October, Nicholls used his ministerial powers to reinstate the pause hours after the ruling was made.

Hundreds of Queensland children affected will be eligible to join a recently launched class action, a court ruled in June, with the government potentially liable to pay millions in compensation if the claim is successful.

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