Submission on proposed ACT General Treatment Plan for 45,X0 Turner syndrome

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government is to be commended for being the first jurisdiction to legislate protections that require public consultation on General Treatment Plans that determine treatment for specified groups of people with innate variations of sex characteristics.

This allows for a degree of oversight and transparency that is lacking in other jurisdictions.

The proposed General Treatment Plan proposes to treat children with 45,X0 Turner syndrome with oestrogen to kickstart puberty, and regards waiting for children to be able to consent as "suboptimal" but "acceptable".

In our view, personal informed consent is always optimal, and a basic requirement of legislation in the ACT protecting children from unnecessary interventions without personal informed consent.

Proposals in relation to psychosocial support fail to place this at the heart of clinical treatment, making more likely the risk that treatment may not conform to some children's actual values and preferences.

Other aspects of the proposed Treatment Plan are also deficient, including patient review, evidence, referencing and drafting.

Our submission

Read or download our submission, in PDF format.

Consultation version of proposed Plan

Read the consultation version of the proposed General Treatment Plan below.

The ACT Government's consultation page

Read more about the ACT's public consultation on General Treatment Plans on the ACT Government's YourSay website: https://yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/variation-sex-characteristics-general-treatment-plans

Legislative protections and hospital services in the ACT

Read more about the new legislative protections and hospital psychosocial support service in the ACT: https://interaction.org.au/resource/act-benchmark/