The RACP has rejected calls for a national inquiry into the treatment of gender dysphoria in children and teenagers, saying it would further harm vulnerable trans and gender-diverse patients.

Instead, it is calling on the Federal Government to develop a national framework to improve access to treatment, particularly for youth in rural and regional areas who cannot easily access services.

Last August, Minister for Health Greg Hunt wrote to the college, asking it to “urgently consider and advise” on the clinical best practice for treatment of trans and gender-diverse children and adolescents.

“It is important that we have a nationally consistent standard of care that is evidence-based and with appropriate safeguards to protect the interests of the patient,” he wrote.