Gender Services
The Gender Service is located at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and includes:
Services
- Assessment and affirmative treatment of adults with Gender Dysphoria or gender non-conforming behaviour or identity.
- Time-limited support from the Department of Social Work and Psychology for patients with social adjustments related to Gender Dysphoria.
- Adjustment support for family and significant others
- Therapeutic assessment and affirmative treatment of gender issues and other co-existing conditions
- Speech Pathology service provides voice feminisation and masculinisation services to adults who have been seen by the RBWH Gender Service and meet criteria for gender incongruence/ dysphoria. Trans and gender-diverse patients cannot be referred directly to the Speech Pathology service.
- Assessment and report by Psychiatrist for gender affirmation surgery
- Assessment for co-existing developmental disorders (Autism, ADHD) or mental illness for adults who are already accessing the service for gender affirmation, if applicable.
- Community linking and referrals to relevant services.
- Medical assessment and commencement of gender affirming hormone therapy by the Sexual Health Physician once readiness for treatment has been confirmed.
- Assessment of readiness for gender affirming hormone therapy and review following commencement of hormone therapy, as needed, by the GP with Special Interests (GPwSI).
Criteria
- Patient resides in Queensland
- Aged > 17 years (please note that patients under 18 years cannot commence gender affirming hormone therapy without the written consent of all legal guardians). If there are court orders, these will need to be supplied.
Exclusions
- Surgical or endocrinology services
Referral requirements
A referral may be rejected without the following information.
- Brief gender-related history- preferred name, assigned sex at birth (natal sex), gender identity, pronouns used
- For people seeking Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy, the following bloods must have been completed within the last 6 months. The results must be included in the referral, otherwise it will be declined:
- FBE; E/LFTs; glucose, lipids, TSH, FSH, LH, prolactin, oestrogen, testosterone, progesterone
- Relevant social history, including any safety concerns for the patient e.g., whether it is safe for the Gender Service to contact the patient via the contact details provided in the referral
- Nicotine (via smoking or vaping), alcohol and other substance use
- Mental Health diagnoses (if known)
- Physical Health diagnoses and neurodevelopmental diagnoses (if known)
- Current medications
- Allergies
Additional desirable referral information
- For people seeking Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy, the following investigations should be considered:
- Sexual health check depending on the patient’s sexual risk: anti-HIV/HIV Ag, anti-HAV IgG, anti-HBc, anti-HBs, HBsAg, anti-HCV IgG, syphilis serology, PCR for chlamydia and gonorrhoea on specimens from urine/genitals, pharynx and rectal sites, and cervical screening as applicable
- Patients should be stable from a mental health perspective for gender affirming hormone therapy to be prescribed. The Gender Service does not provide crisis care. Please manage the patient’s mental health concerns, including referring them, if appropriate, to mental health care providers, while the patient waits for their appointment with the Gender Service.
- For people under 18 years – custody/court orders if applicable
- Relevant family history
- Height, weight, BMI, BP
Out of catchment
Metro North Health is responsible for providing public health services to the people who reside within its boundaries. Special consideration is made for patients requiring tertiary care or services that are not provided by their local Hospital and Health Service. If your patient lives outside the Metro North Health area and you wish to refer them to one of our services, inclusion of information regarding their particular medical and social factors will assist with the triaging of your referral.
- Impact on employment
- Impact on education
- Impact on home
- Impact on activities of daily living
- Impact on ability to care for others
- Impact on personal frailty or safety
- Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- To establish a diagnosis
- For treatment or intervention
- For advice and management
- For specialist to take over management
- Reassurance for GP/second opinion
- For a specified test/investigation the GP can’t order, or the patient can’t afford or access
- Reassurance for the patient/family
- For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
- Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary
- Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
- Physical findings
- Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
- Current medications and dosages
- Drug allergies
- Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use
- Full name (including aliases)
- Date of birth
- Residential and postal address
- Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
- Medicare number (where eligible)
- Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
- Preferred language and interpreter requirements
- Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- Full name
- Full address
- Contact details – telephone, fax, email
- Provider number
- Date of referral
- Signature
- Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
- Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
- Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)
Specialists list
Contact the service
- Phone (07) 3647‑0701to speak to a nurse or the program coordinator.
- Send a written request to the Referral Centre via eReferral.
- To download templates, see Hospital eReferral Templates.
- If unable to attach investigations or use eReferral, fax to 1300‑364‑952.
Inform the patient
- Ensure they are aware of the request and the reason for being assessed.
- Advise that their first appointment may not always be with a specialist.
Not always a specialist
Where appropriate, the request may be sent to a public allied health or nursing service for initial assessment and management. A specialist assessment may then be arranged or ruled out.
- Instruct them to take all relevant radiology films and reports (including the imaging report) to appointments.
- To advise of any change in circumstance (e.g., getting worse or becoming pregnant) as this may affect the request for assessment.
- To contact their general practice team if they do not hear from the service within 2 to 3 weeks.
Send referral
Hotline: 1300 364 938
Medical Objects ID: MQ40290004P
HealthLink EDI: qldmnhhs
Mail:
Metro North Central Patient Intake
Aspley Community Centre
776 Zillmere Road
ASPLEY QLD 4034
Health pathways
Access to Health Pathways is free for clinicians in Metro North Brisbane.
For login details email:
healthpathways@brisbanenorthphn.org.au
Login to Brisbane North Health Pathways:
brisbanenorth.healthpathwayscommunity.org
Locations
- Social Work and Psychology Department
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital - Specialist Outpatients (Level 1, Dr James Mayne Building) RBWH