NSW Specialist Trans and Gender Diverse Health Service

​NSW Health is committed to providing the best possible care for trans and gender diverse young people and their families across NSW.

NSW Specialist Trans and Gender Diverse Health Service (TGD Health Service) provides medical, nursing, and allied health specialist care to make sure trans and gender diverse young people from across NSW get the support they need. The TGD Health Service includes Maple Leaf House (up to 25 in Rural and Regional areas), SCHN Trans and Gender Diverse Service (up to 16 in Sydney areas) and True Colours (16 - up to 25 in Sydney areas).

Our services provide evidence-based, holistic and tailored care to support the individual and their health goals. Being trans and gender diverse is experienced and expressed in many different ways so it is important that care and support reflects what each person needs.

Each site of the TGD Health Service offers a range of health services including access to medical, nursing, mental health and allied health specialists, offering services such as medical review, specialist nursing care, psychological assessment and diagnosis, and social work consultation. The service also provides access to gender affirming medical treatments such as puberty suppression treatment and hormone treatment where clinically appropriate and in line with an individual's goals.

The service works closely with other support services and primary care to give safe, person-centred care to young people, their families, and carers.​​​​​​​

For further information regarding how the service will operate, refer to the Framework for the Specialist Trans and Gender Diverse Health Service for People Under 25 Years.

Frequently asked questions

  • NSW Health is committed to providing the best possible care for trans and gender diverse young people and their families across NSW.  

    Our services provide medical, nursing, and allied health specialist care to make sure trans and gender diverse young people from across NSW get the support they need.

    The NSW Specialist Trans and Gender Diverse Health Service (NSW TGD Health Service) provides evidence-based, holistic and tailored care to support the individual and their health goals. Being trans and gender diverse is experienced and expressed in many different ways so it is important that care and support reflects what each person needs.

    Each site offers a range of health services including access to medical, nursing, mental health and allied health specialists, offering services such as medical review, specialist nursing care, psychological assessment and diagnosis, and social work consultation. The service also provides access to gender affirming medical treatments such as puberty suppression treatment and hormone treatment where clinically appropriate and in line with an individual's goals.

    The service works closely with other support services and primary care to give safe, person-centred care to young people, their families, and carers.

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    The NSW TGD Health Service will see young people who are trans and gender diverse or gender exploring up to their 25th birthday. If you wish to attend one of the NSW TGD Health Service sites, your General Practitioner (GP) or specialist can provide you with a referral.

    Your GP can access appropriate referral and clinical information via Health Pathways (an online tool for primary care clinicans).​

  • Once a referral letter from your GP is sent to the NSW TGD Health Service, a specialist team member will review the request. You will then be contacted by the relevant service and offered an intake appointment with a team member.

    Please be aware that each service has a waiting list and there will be a wait time. 

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    The NSW TGD Health Service provides care for young people across all NSW local health districts. Where you live and your age will determine which site is most appropriate for you.

    Sydney metropolitan area

    If you live in the Sydney metropolitan area, you will be referred to one of the Sydney Hub sites. Referral areas include:

    • Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District
    • Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District
    • Northern Sydney Local Health District
    • South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
    • South Western Sydney Local Health District
    • Sydney Local Health District
    • Western Sydney Local Health District

    If you are 16 years or over, but not yet 25 years, you will go to:

    True Colours
    Location: Community-based clinic in Surry Hills
    Contact phone: (02) 9332 9676
    Enquiries: seslhd-truecolours@health.nsw.gov.au
    Referrals: Fax 9332 9787 or your clinician can send a referral through ConsultMed.

    If you are under 16 years you will go to:

    Sydney Children's Network Trans and Gender Diverse Health Service
    Location: Westmead Children's Hospital
    Contact phone: (02) 7825 2446
    Enquiries: SCHN-CHW-GenderService@health.nsw.gov.au
    Referrals: Email SCHN-CHW-GenderService@health.nsw.gov.au or your doctor can send a referral through ConsultMed.

    Rural or regional NSW

    If you live in rural or regional NSW, you will be referred to the Rural and Regional Hub located in Newcastle. Referral areas include:

    • Central Coast Local Health District
    • Far West Local Health District
    • Hunter New England Local Health District
    • Mid North Coast Local Health District
    • Murrumbidgee Local Health District
    • Northern NSW Local Health District
    • Southern NSW Local Health District
    • Western NSW Local Health District

    If you are under 25 years and live in rural or regional NSW, you will go to:

    Maple Tree House
    Location: Community-based clinic in Hamilton, Newcastle
    Contact phone: (02) 4016 4980
    Enquiries: HNELHD-JHCHMapleLeafHouse@health.nsw.gov.au
    Referrals: Through fax 49 236 598 or email HNELHD-JHCHMapleLeafHouse@health.nsw.gov.au

  • The NSW TGD Health Service is a free, publicly funded service. There may be costs associated with treatment options, which you can discuss with your treating team. 

  • ​The NSW TGD Health Service offers holistic, individualised care. Your care plan is based on your goals, clinical needs and individual circumstances. Gender affirming medical treatment may or may not be a part of your care plan.

  • The Framework for the Specialist Trans and Gender Diverse Health Service for People Under 25 Years provides guidance to NSW local health districts and speciality health n​etworks on how evidence-based trans and gender diverse health care will be delivered through the Specialist Trans and Gender Diverse Health Service Framework.

    The framework was developed over two years and is informed by service mapping, an evidence check conducted by the Sax Institute, national and international clinical guidance, and consultations with over 70 public and private clinicians, families and carers of trans and gender diverse people under 25 years, NGOs, GPs and Primary Health Networks. In addition, the Framework was circulated for consultation to all NSW Health local health districts, networks and pillars.

    The framework aligns with accepted best practice in the international and Australian context, including but not limited to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents (for more information see Resources). Care is informed by the existing evidence base and will be modified as new evidence emerges.

  • As trans and gender diverse health care is an evolving practice area, it is important that clinicians working in the service contribute to the emerging evidence base.

    To support evidence-based service delivery, a Clinical Advisory Group has been established to review emerging evidence and clinical guidance and provide advice to the Specialist Hubs. Their work will be supported by an updated evidence check by the Sax Institute on the benefits and risks of gender affirming care.

    When young people and their families enter the TGD Health Service, there will be an opportunity to participate in research projects that contribute to understanding and improvements in care for trans and gender diverse young people. Detailed information will be provided to help young people and their families decide if they want to participate. Participation is voluntary and will not impact access to care. Consent to participate in research can be withdrawn at any time. We encourage young people and families attending the TGD Health Service to discuss any questions or concerns about how their information may be used before providing consent. 

    All future research endorsed by the TGD Health Service will be designed in consultation with consumers and trans and gender diverse community stakeholders to support high quality findings.

    Any research will be conducted in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007 (updated 2018), the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), and local HREC and institutional policies.

  • Trans and gender diverse healthcare is a complex and evolving practice area. NSW Health continues to monitor developments in the evidence to ensure the care we provide remains consistent with national and international best practice.

    The 2024 Sax Institute Evidence Check Update includes summaries of both international and domestic peer-reviewed literature published since 2019 into treatment options for young people with gender dysphoria, in what is a constantly evolving research field. The Evidence Check Update builds on a previous Evidence Check conducted in January 2020. The report does not make recommendations for policy and clinical practice.

    The Evidence Check Update found:

    • new research supports previous evidence on gender affirming hormone therapy, finding that it is beneficial for mental health with minimal risks or potential harms;
    • puberty suppression treatment is broadly safe and beneficial and has the advantage of being reversible; and
    • there is emerging evidence supporting a range of psychosocial therapies. The evidence check found benefits and effectiveness in improving mental health outcomes, with no reported risks or potential harms.

    To support evidence-based service delivery, a Clinical Advisory Group has been established to review emerging evidence and clinical guidance and provide advice to the TGD Health Service. The 2024 Sax Institute Evidence Check Update will support this work and inform understanding of priority areas for research, including the need for further collaboration with other Australian service providers on longitudinal research.

    For more information, please see Effective interventions for children and young people with gender dysphoria update.

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    In March 2021, NSW Health released the landmark NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy. The strategy's vision is for LGBTIQ+ people in NSW to receive high quality, safe, inclusive and responsive healthcare that delivers outcomes that matter to them.

    Since the launch of the strategy, NSW Health has announced various initiatives to support trans and gender diverse communities including:

    • strengthening supports for young trans and gender diverse people and their families with complex needs through The Gender Centre
    • development of a new Trans Mental Health and Wellbeing service delivered by ACON that provides up to 12 free individual counselling sessions and/or 12 mental health peer work sessions to trans women, trans men and non-binary people over 18 seeking mental health support
    • expansion of Twenty10's specialist counselling and group support programs to young trans and gender diverse people and their families and carers across NSW
    • support for Equality Australia's community capacity building program to develop leadership in trans and gender diverse communities, empowering them to engage in policy and public discussions.

    In addition, the NSW Government is supporting implementation of the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy through:

    • establishing a new LGBTIQ+ Health Centre , Kaleido Health, to deliver primary care and mental health, sexual health and cancer screening services
    • supporting NSW Health workforce competency building through education and training and local initiatives to respond to local needs
    • providing additional funding to ACON and Twenty10 for mental health and suicide prevention initiatives.
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    Clinical guidance

    Other resources

    • BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation aims to foster pathways that provide informed and authentic representation, that positively impacts the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+ people.
    • Inner City Legal Centre offers support for transgender and gender diverse people experiencing legal problems.
    • Parents of Gender Diverse Children provides peer support for parents of gender diverse children, including information and resources.
    • The Gender Centre provides a broad range of specialised services that enables the exploration of gender identity.
    • Transcend Australia provides information, support and referrals to families across Australia and work to empower trans and gender diverse children and young people.
    • TransHub is a digital information and resource platform for all trans and gender diverse people in NSW, our loved ones, allies and health providers.
    • Trans Pride Australia's mission is to foster a sense of belonging and empower trans and gender diverse people across Australia.
    • Twenty10 provides a broad range of specialised services for young people 12-25 including housing, mental health, counselling and social support. For adults Twenty10 provides social support and for people of all ages telephone support and webchat as the NSW provider for the national QLife project.
    • Transforming Families an academic and community collaboration supporting parents of gender diverse children.

  • If you or someone you know needs mental health support, please call one of the following services and speak with someone.

    Further mental health resources are available on HERE – a digital suicide prevention hub for LGBTQ+ communities.

    For NSW Health staff, additional support is available through the Employee Assistance Program.

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Current as at: Tuesday 18 February 2025
Contact page owner: Health and Social Policy