The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency has refused to engage with questions regarding its impartiality, treatment of practitioners who raise evidence-based concerns about “gender-affirming” care, and relationship with transgender advocacy organisations.
The watchdog has since failed to provide any on-record response, instead referring to sources of background information, including a statement made by AHPRA chief executive Justin Untersteiner and Medical Board of Australia chair Susan O’Dwyer in April, the transcript of Mr Untersteiner’s appearance at Senate estimates hearings in June, and the watchdog’s review of its handling of notifications relating to racism and discrimination, released in July.
In an indication of the extent to which gender ideology has pervaded AHPRA, the regulator’s media and digital manager signed his email specifying a preference for “he/him” pronouns.
Professor Geelhoed’s article cited evidence of close relationships between AHPRA and trans advocacy organisations including ACON and its Pride in Diversity program, Transgender Victoria and Trans Hub, to the extent that these organisations had a role in embedding “identity-affirming care” into AHPRA’s clinical standards.
The Australian asked AHPRA whether it was confident its independence had not been compromised, and whether it was appropriate for the medical regulator to have such a close relationship with advocacy organisations, particularly when they were advocating for a highly contested model of care.
In February, AHPRA banned Queensland psychiatrist Andrew Amos from making online statements about gender medicine and barred him from having direct clinical contact with patients.
The regulator, which is investigating Professor Geelhoed for his gender stance, last month dropped its investigation into fellow child psychiatrist Jillian Spencer after she was cleared of wrongdoing by Queensland Children’s Hospital four years after raising concerns about gender-affirming care.
Source: AHPRA silent on gender activist ties as inquiry calls grow | The Australian