Report Finds Gender Clinic Alienated Parents, Blended ‘Activism’ With Treatment

A probe into the practices of the Cairns gender clinic has revealed children were rushed into taking hormone altering drugs.

Symbols for male and female in Western Australia on Aug. 15, 2025. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

A confronting report has emerged following a probe ordered by the Queensland state government, that reveals severe issues at a north Queensland clinic administering “puberty blockers” to children as young as 12.

The “Health Service Investigation into Paediatric Gender Health Services at Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service” report identified several issues with the service’s conduct, issuing a list of 21 recommendations.

The Queensland LNP Health Minister Tim Nicholls ordered the probe after reports that children as young as 12 were given puberty blockers, sometimes without parental consent. This was later acted upon by Queensland Health Director-General David Rosengren.

A photo of the Cairns North Community Health Facility, which is run by the Queensland government and contains the Cairns Sexual Health Service, located in Cairns, Australia and taken on Jan. 29, 2025. The Epoch Times

Puberty Blockers Given Without Proper Care

The report paints a picture of a disorganised system beleaguered by absence or inconsistency in areas like incident reporting, risk management, and auditing.

Report findings around the Cairns health service released in February show staff raised concerns about prescribing puberty blockers almost like “a technician, rather than as part of a multidisciplinary assessment.”

The report notes a limited review of adverse events or complaints, and minimal evidence of continuous quality improvement.

In another instance, the report found the clinical environment was not reliably safe for paediatric patients.

A photo of the Cairns North Community Health Facility, which is run by the Queensland government and contains the Cairns Sexual Health Service, located in Cairns, Australia and taken on Jan. 29, 2025. The Epoch Times

Staff Had ‘Alliances’ With Trans Groups

It was also found that patient relationships were informal and unstructured, with boundaries blurred between staff and community, and limited involvement of family in decisions on care.

The blurred boundaries were reportedly created by strong staff alliances with the trans community, meaning “staff blended activism with clinical care,” while parents who objected were “basically alienated ... by the psychologists.”

The report also stated that in some instances, young patients went from “psychology to hormone treatment within weeks” without any consistent process for family engagement or education.

“A review in December 2024 of 17 patient records showed major deficiencies, including incomplete clinical notes, missing baseline tests, absence of consent documentation, long prescription intervals, and lack of pediatric or mental health input,” the report noted.

“Some children as young as 12 were commenced on puberty blockers, with others on testosterone, without adequate documentation of assessments or monitoring.”

In some instances, youths as young as 17 were injected with testosterone without parental knowledge.

Child Competency Not Measured Before Treatments

There was also little consistent documentation of Gillick assessments being carried out, which are used to determine a child’s capacity to make informed decisions on their healthcare.

In most cases, Gillick assessments were not done or recorded, while staff complained some children lacked the competence to make informed decisions and were still prescribed medications regardless.

In one instance, children were marked “Gillick competent” despite their parents raising concerns over multiple mental health issues.

Parents were labelled “aggressive” by the health service despite documentation showing otherwise.

A staff member also shared that parents were often pressured to join trans support groups.

“One of the issues with the culture was that if a parent had any objection related to their diagnosis of gender dysphoria or the pathway towards puberty blockers, they were basically alienated,” the report noted.

The report also said there was no state-wide review into the effect of gender medication on hormones or bone density for under-18s.

Additionally, the report found that some medical staff were ignored when they raised concerns.

“Instead of triggering closer scrutiny of adherence to guidelines, the issue wasn’t followed up,” the report stated. “People did speak up ... but others didn’t listen.”

Recommendations

The investigation flagged numerous recommendations aimed at improving oversight, safety and clinical governance.

The report calls for formalised intake processes, standardised record-keeping, and a fully established multidisciplinary team to align local services with the statewide Queensland Children’s Gender Service.

Staff credentialing, supervision, and wellbeing are to be improved, with clear role definitions and ongoing monitoring of performance and safety culture.

Clinically, the report recommends better risk management, regular audits and clearer treatment responsibilities which would include transferring the initiation of puberty blockers and gender hormones for children to the state-wide service until local systems are improved.

Finally, it advises relocating the service to a dedicated paediatric care environment to ensure age-appropriate care.

All 21 recommendations from the 213-page report have been accepted in principle by Queensland Health.