Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, , 3:27:00 to 3:30:14
NHMRC provides an update on the development of clinical guidelines for gender-diverse youth and the upcoming release of interim advice on puberty suppressants.
Topics: Health, Human rights
Speakers: Prue Torrance, Hon Anne Ruston, Unknown Speaker
of Australian standards of care and treatment guidelines for trans and gender diverse children and adolescents in Australia, and I just was supposed to have been um reported by the middle of 2026. Um we haven't seen it. Um just wondering um whether uh whether you can give us an update about where that's all at, sorry, the interim. Whether where we're up to.
Certainly. Um pre-Torrent's acting CEO of NHMRC. Um we've made a commitment to release early advice on the use of puberty suppressants ahead of the full guideline for the clinical care of transgender diverse people under 18. Um I can uh advise that that interim advice will be released on the 16th of November. Um we did update our public facing timeline um in August to advise that it would be in November. Um it's now at the very um final stages, and so we're confident we will make that that that date.
Okay. So in terms of the interim advice um that as I said the minister had promised in the middle of the year, but now we know it's the 16th of November. Um have you um had um preliminary sort of discussions around this um early advice with the states and territories and in relation to any implications that this may have on them?
Um the implications um for states and territories would obviously be a matter for them. Um the draft advice um has been considered by the council of NHMRC, which includes representation from states and territories, um, and indeed the current status of the draft advice is it is being revised to reflect um any feedback from the council of NHMRC. Um but I can't comment on the implementation considerations that's a matter for states and territories.
Oh, it's not so much that in terms of the implementation, but I mean clearly you would understand what the jurisdictional obligations in relation to um this particular issue are, and and most of them do fall to state and territory governments. So I was just interested to understand whether there is any immediate implications on states and territories of your early advice in terms of um the standards.
Um the draft interim advice um will only cover the use of puberty suppressants, so that's the um focus of the interim advice. Um it will provide um the latest evidence and uh suggestions on best practice for the for the use of puberty suppressants. Um it won't advise what clinical services, health services or public funding should be. Um it is simply a review of the evidence. Um that's our role.
Okay, thank you. And the Rural Health Commissioner who's been waiting patiently for two days. Hi, Professor.