17c起草社区

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has recently been in the firing line from conservative media publication The Australian. The Australian 丑补蝉听 in the past month criticising the agency and its , their censuring of anti-trans doctors, and the registration of a trans doctor – making the claim that the regulator is “captured” by the “powerful trans lobby”.

In a , CEO of AHPRA Justin Untersteiner and Chair of the Medical Board of Australia Dr Susan O鈥橠wyer have responded to The Australian, saying that the articles “have the potential to undermine trust in the role we as regulators play” and seek to correct the record.

“Each and every Australian has a right to receive safe healthcare 鈥� no matter their ethnicity, religious belief, sex, gender or sexuality,” says the statement.

The articles come after increased scrutiny of Ahpra from anti-trans lobbying groups including Women鈥檚 Forum Australia and Parents of Adolescents with Gender Distress, following the organisation’s censure of anti trans psychiatrists Dr Andrew Amos and Dr Jillian Spencer. Ahpra has also come under attack for registering Dr Beth Upton, who was hounded out of the UK after a high profile legal case, to practice in Australia.

Dr Amos was banned from social media and barring him from having direct clinical contact with any patients by Ahpra, after an escalation in complaints about the psychiatrist鈥檚 statements online. This included personal attacks against trans people on X (Twitter), and comments such as 鈥渢here is no reliable evidence that trans identification can be differentiated from psychosis鈥� and that 鈥渄octors who affirm gender delusions are liable for patient harms鈥�. Meanwhile Dr Spencer is facing an investigation from Ahpra after sharing a news article on social media that criticised the practice of gender-affirming care for young people.

Both doctors are connected by their criticism of gender affirming care and the trans community. Amos’ views on trans healthcare聽聽as 鈥渋n the minority鈥� by other medical practitioners

“Like all Australians, registered health practitioners absolutely have a right to free speech,” says Ahpra. “Ahpra and the Medical Board are committed to the principles of free speech and the right of registered health practitioners to enter into professional and public debates.”

But they specify that this right to free speech is constrained if a medical practitioner comments or supports comments that can cause harm to groups of individuals.

“Typically, the harm pertains to racism and discrimination. If commentary becomes hateful and directed toward specific members of the community this causes harm. The harm is that the commentary erodes trust in the profession as a whole, and some members of the community might fear seeing a medical practitioner and do not access the health care they need.”

High standards for medical practitioners

In their statement, AHPRA says their expectations of medical practitioners, which are expressed via the stands and their Code, are clear and underpinned by evidence, and are “integral to maintaining public trust in the profession and providing safe care”.

“The expectation set out in the Code of Conduct that medical practitioners conduct themselves in a manner that is devoid of racism and discrimination. This is underpinned by a wealth of evidence that shows that racism and discrimination cause harm and lead to poorer health outcomes.”

The organisation says they have “zero tolerance” for聽expressions of racism and discrimination by medical practitioners.

“People from marginalised and minority communities have, sadly, all too often been the recipients of prejudice. They are less likely to seek health care, more likely to experience racism or discrimination when they do, and many have poorer health outcomes compared to the general population.”

Likewise they reconfirm their support for medical practitioners from marginalised backgrounds like Dr Upton, saying “we expect doctors, and all other health practitioners, are protected from experiencing racism and discrimination. And, when it is in our power to do so, we act to combat racism and discrimination directed at our registered health practitioners.”