Plastic surgeon Dr Ian Holton suspended

Dr Holten is a plastic surgeon and between July 2011 and January 2014 he provided cosmetic medical and surgical services to the patient on 10 occasions. Before he provided professional services to her, they had met on numerous occasions and were in a friendship circle that revolved around common interests.

Over the period of the professional relationship, Dr Holten and the patient contacted each other regularly via telephone calls and text messages, met for coffee, and sat in his car together and discussed their personal lives and the patient’s marital difficulties. He failed to manage professional boundaries for some time. In January 2014, he had sexual intercourse with her. On or about 11 and 12 January 2014, Dr Ian Holten behaved in a way that constituted professional misconduct by engaging in sexual misconduct, in that he had sexual intercourse with a patient.

Tribunal findings:

Between about 12 July 2011 and 17 January 2014 (inclusive), Dr Ian Holten, behaved in a way that constituted unprofessional conduct, in that he failed to maintain the professional boundaries that should, and ordinarily do, exist between a  medical practitioner  and their patient .

Dr Holten’s registration is suspended for a period of three months, the suspension to commence on 11 July 2019.

The tribunal stated: “We are satisfied that Dr Holten is at low or no risk of repeating the conduct. He has practised safely not only for the last five years, but also for decades prior to that. He is otherwise of good character. His early admissions and cooperation are to his credit. There has already been a considerable personal impact on him. “

Source: http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2019/837.html

Psychiatrist gets vulnerable patient pregnant

A Melbourne psychiatrist got a patient pregnant after she was referred to him following a workplace sex assault.

The patient saw Dr Luke Ainsworth five times during 2016 and a personal relationship unfolded between them. A sexual relationship ensued and she soon discovered she was pregnant. She alleged she felt pressure by him to terminate the pregnancy, which she did.

The Medical Board of Australia was notified of his conduct in August 2016 and referred the matter to the tribunal. After this, Dr Ainsworth gave an undertaking not to practise and allowed his registration to lapse.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found him guilty of professional misconduct and disqualified him from applying to register as a medical practitioner before December 31.

The Tribunal noted “We regard it as appropriate to take into account Dr Ainsworth’s period of non-practice when he was fit to practice and reject the submission of the Board that this was not relevant as he did not seek to practise during this time. We are of the view that it demonstrates some insight into the seriousness of his conduct. We felt that a period of three years of non-practice was warranted to reflect the seriousness of the conduct and to send a message to Dr Ainsworth and other practitioners and thus determined that Dr Ainsworth should be disqualified until 31 December 2019.”

http://www6.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2019/734.html

Dr Hugh Joffe Psychologist Banned

Here we have a case of a psychologist over-servicing and taking advantage of a vulnerable patient.

Dr Hugh Ian Joffe, a registered psychologist practising in Vaucluse, Sydney, charged his banker patient almost $220,000 in sessions that were overtaken by his plans to make a Holocaust documentary with the patient.

The Tribunal heard Dr Joffe proposed to see the patient six days a week and, knowing what salary he was earning, told him he would need to borrow money to fund the therapy. The patient claimed that he had spent a total amount (on therapy and film): $360,000 plus ongoing interest on mortgage payments.

Dr Joffe also advised the patient to reconnect with Judaism, in particular Orthodox Judaism, and to worship at the same synagogue as him; stop eating non-Kosher food and attended the patient’s home for religious ceremonies.

The patient said, “I believe I was taken advantage of by Dr Joffe. I believe I was over-serviced by Dr Joffe and that he was wrong to enter into a film project with me and to encourage me to incur excessive costs, funded [by] my mortgage.”

After 41 years, Dr Joffe retired from practising in April 2017, surrendering his registration the following month.

The Civil and Administrative Tribunal of NSW found that Dr Hugh Joffe’s “conduct was aimed at his own gratification; was egregious in that it was an extreme and invasive manipulation of Patient A’s life at many levels; and that it took advantage of Patient A’s weaknesses that he, Dr Joffe, as therapist, had a unique insight into.”

The Tribunal further stated “the conduct complained constitutes boundary violation of the most serious kind and exploitation of a vulnerable patient, and breaches all relevant codes of conduct in relation to the maintenance of trust and confidence in the psychologist/patient relationship. The Tribunal finds that the respondent has consistently displayed a concerning lack of insight into the seriousness of his conduct.”

The Tribunal cancelled Dr Joffe’s registration, prohibiting from providing any health services, and barred him from re-registering for 4 years.

Sydney Dentist Dr James Ng – Infection Control Breaches

Dr James Pok-Yan Ng a dentist practising in Haberfield, Sydney, was suspended last month after his cleaning and sterilisation practices breached Australian Dental Guidelines.

An inspection found that the dental equipment and practice were poorly cleaned. Sydney Local Health District [SLHD] said patients who had visited the Ramsay Street practice in the past 35 years should get precautionary testing for hepatitis B, C and HIV.  Patients who have had multiple invasive procedures are in particular, at risk of contracting an infection.

Sexual Misconduct by Doctors, Health Care Professionals in NSW | Cases 2017-2018

List of health care practitioners prosecuted by the Health Care Complaints Commission in NSW for misconduct of a sexual nature/ boundary violations with patients.

2018

2017

  • Dr Phillipa Rickard
  • Dr Nirmit Milan Sheth, General Practitioner
  • Mr Robert Ferguson (Bray-Ferguson), a non-registered health practitioner providing counselling services as a qualified social worker.
  • Mrs Brooke Ledner, Psychologist
  • Dr Teresa Wong, General Practitioner
  • Dr Mohamed Payenda Zhouand Safi, General Practitioner
  • Dr Elvin Suet Pang Cheng
  • Dr Saeid Saedlounia
  • Dr Miodrag Huber, General Practitioner
  • Dr Elvin Suet Pang Cheng.
  • Mr Harry Mayr, Psychologist
  • Dr Aamer Sultan, Medical Practitioner
  • Mr Anthony Elliot, Enrolled Nurse

… more info to come on sexual misconduct and disciplinary cases.

 

Emil Gayed Gynaecologist Doctor under investigation for medical negligence and misconduct

HCCC Prosecution of Dr Emil Gayed, Gynaecologist for misconduct

The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission recently prosecuted a complaint against Dr Emil Shawky Gayed, a formerly registered obstetrician and gynaecologist, before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (‘the Tribunal’). The complaints related to the management of 7 patients over a 3 year period at the Manning Rural Referral Hospital in Taree NSW.

The most serious of complaints against Dr Gayed were:

    1. Performing a hysterectomy when it was not clinically indicated.
    2. Failing to identify a 10 week pregnancy when performing an endometrial ablation on a patient.
    3.  Informing a patient that he was certain she had cervical cancer and undertaking procedures on her post-partum cervix that were not clinically indicated as there was no evidence of cervical malignancy.
    4. Undertaking a diagnostic laparotomy and unnecessarily removing a patient’s right ovary and fallopian tube which appeared normal and injuring the patient’s left ureter in the process.

On 6 June 2018, the Tribunal found Dr Gayed guilty of professional misconduct.  The Tribunal ordered that if Dr Gayed was registered, it would have cancelled his registration and that Dr Gayed be disqualified from being registered for a period of 3 years.

National Inquiry into Dr Gayed

On 25 June 2018,  the New South Wales Department of Health announced an inquiry into the disgraced gynaecologist Dr Gayed and his work for at least four public hospitals Cooma hospital, Kempsey district hospital, Manning Base hospital and Mona Vale hospital.

The inquiry will be conducted by barrister Gail Furness SC, who will be assisted by specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist Doctor Greg Jenkins. Ms Furness and Dr Greg Jenkins, are due to report back by 30 September.

Baby wrongly injected during scan at Nepean Hospital

Channel 9 news has reported that baby Declan was injected with the wrong medication whilst undergoing a routine CT scan at Sydney’s Nepean Hospital.

An emergency department doctor accidentally administered 12mg of intravenous Suxamethonium instead of administering 12mg of Ketamine to the baby.

Declan stopped breathing for 90 seconds and turned blue. The Director of the Emergency Department met with the parents that day and apologised.

Suxamethonium is a short acting depolarising neuromuscular blocking agent (NMB). It essentially causes short-term paralysis and is used as sedation/relaxation in anaesthesia.

    • Endotracheal intubation.
    • Endoscopic examination.
    • Orthopaedic manipulations.
    • Short surgical procedures.

There are numerous guidelines regarding the administration of this drug in hospitals in Australia. Equipment for intubation and ventilation must be available. It should only be given when a person experienced in endotracheal intubation is present. It should not be administered to a conscious patient.

Youngjin Jung, NSW Physiotherapist jailed for Indecent Assault and Deregistered

Central Coast Physiotherapist jalied and deregistered

Name: Youngjin Jung

Education: Physiotherapist; graduated from Curtin University, 2009.

Practice: Ocean Beach Physiotherapy Practice at Umina Beach, Central Coast, NSW.

Criminal case: Jung v R [2017] NSWCCA 24 (6 March 2017)

Civil case/disciplinary action: Deregistered 7 years from 19 April 2018; Health Care Complaints Commission v Jung [2018] NSWCATOD 53

Overview of legal action against Youngjin Jung

In 2016 Mr Jung was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault in relation to six female patients that occurred between 23 April and 12 June 2014. Mr Jung was sentenced to an aggregate sentence of five years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of three and a half years. He will be eligible for parole on 22 August 2019.

Indecent assault accusations against the physiotherapist included massaging patients’ breasts and touching pubic area of a patient. The “conduct was not in any way related to therapeutic treatment,” Judge Clive Jeffreys said in handing down his sentence. “It was undertaken by the offender for sexual gratification­.”

The Health Care Complaints Commission (‘the Commission’) prosecuted Mr Youngjin Jung before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (‘the Tribunal’). The Commission alleged that because Mr Jung had been convicted of criminal offences in NSW he was not a suitable person to hold registration as a physiotherapist.

On 19 April 2018, the Tribunal found that Mr Jung was not a suitable person to hold registration as a physiotherapist. The Tribunal cancelled Mr Jung’s registration and ordered a non-review period of 7 years. The Tribunal also made a prohibition order that Mr Jung be prohibited from providing any health services for a period of seven years.

Dr Ian De Saxe, Psychiatrist, Professional Misconduct Case

Professional Misconduct case against Dr De Saxe, Psychiatrist

Name: Dr Ian De Saxe

Specialty: Psychiatry. Graduated from the University of Sydney, Dr De Saxe had been practising since 1987.

Practiced at: The Rocks, Sydney; Mosman Private Hospital.

Summary: Engaged in mutual masturbation and penetrative sex with male patient; massaged legs of another patient; made statements that sexual conduct with under-aged children was “okay”. Inappropriate prescribing and self-prescribing; and inadequate record keeping.

Findings: Professional misconduct; registration cancelled for 2 years. Date of order: 29 March 2018.

Case: HCCC v De Saxe [2018] NSWCATOD 45

Facts of Case

The Tribunal found that the practitioner engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with patient A. Dr de Saxe engaged in mutual masturbation with patient A on two occasions and engaged in penetrative sexual intercourse with patient A on one occasion.

Dr de Saxe prescribed Methadone/Physeptone, a Schedule 8 drug of addiction to patient A in quantities which did not accord with the recognised therapeutic standard for the appropriate treatment in the circumstances. The patient was not the subject of a treatment plan and the practitioner was not an accredited NSW OTP prescriber and accordingly held no authority to prescribe such drugs. The practitioner prescribed patient A other drugs in similar circumstances, namely Alprazolam and Dexamphetamine. The records of such treatment were not maintained.

Patient B, a 27-year-old male was referred to the practitioner for an opinion and management of alcoholism and major depression. During one consultation Dr de Saxe massaged patient B’s legs and asked patient B words the effect: “Do you want me to go any higher?”. The practitioner acknowledged that he was sexually attracted to patient B.

Dr de Saxe treated patient C whilst he was under his care at the Mosman Private Hospital between 16 August 2010 and 15 September 2010. He consulted patient C on at least six occasions between 17 August 2010 and 10 September 2010. He did not communicate with the patient’s former treating psychiatrists or psychologists; nor put a treatment plan in place. Further, the Tribunal found as a fact that Dr de Saxe engaged in inappropriate discussion concerning the patient’s sexuality and desires and made statements to the effect that sexual conduct with under-aged children was “okay”. Not that patient C had been charged with child sex offences involving a 15 year old male.

The Tribunal found, but that Dr de Saxe claimed to have no recollection, that he looked into the patient’s eyes whilst the patient was talking about his sexuality and invited the patient to engage in a sexual act with him by saying to the patient “suck my cock”. The Tribunal found that the patient’s version of events was correct in respect of the words used by Dr de Saxe to the patient concerning the writing of a report that was required to be used in pending court proceedings involving the patient.

The Tribunal also found that Dr de Saxe stated words the effect that he was willing to lie for the patient in respect of the report. He also failed to keep adequate records of his treatment for patient C. He failed to prepare a comprehensive admissions assessment and treatment plan; to record sufficient corroborative information from other mental health practitioners; to record specific information concerning treatment during admission and to record sufficient detail in the progress notes and discharge summary.

The Tribunal also found that between 7 April 2010 and 28 October 2014, Dr de Saxe inappropriately self-prescribed medication including Schedule 4D prescribed restricted substances.

News Articles for further reading:

Sydney psychiatrist banned for 2 years (news.com.au)

“Sydney psychiatrist suspended over telling an accused paedophile having sex with an underage boy ‘wasn’t that bad’ and that he was ‘willing to lie for him’ after asking him for oral sex”, dailymail.co.uk

Banned Psychiatrist starting another career: “The tribunal heard that Dr de Saxe was attracted to young men and had moved his practice away from ‘the sort of risky type’. Since being suspended from practising medicine, he had started a course to teach English as a second language and told the tribunal he thought it would ‘be helpful to be able to test his boundaries around students’, despite acknowledging that being around young men was a ‘potential risk’.” Source: ABC news.

Macquarie University Hospital Death of Patient Paul Lau

A coroner’s inquest has found that Mr Paul Lau died on 19 June 2015 as a result of prescribing error by an anaesthetist, which led to Mr Lau receiving medication intended for another patient whilst he was recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery. The error was not detected by Hospital staff before his death.

Dr Kim opened Paul’s TrakCare record to prescribe a small amount of fluids, which he had forgotten to prescribe during Paul’s surgery. Dr Kim then failed to close Paul’s TrakCare record and opened GS’s (another patient’s) TrakCare record before prescribing post-operative medications for GS at 1:55pm.

Mr Lau was prescribed a Fentanyl Patch and a Fentanyl PCA. He died of fentanyl toxicity.

According to the inquest findings:

It is clear that Dr Kim failed to exercise proper care, diligence and caution whilst prescribing medication erroneously in Paul’s TrakCare record from 1:55pm to 2:00pm. Dr Kim accepted that a patient’s name is displayed on screen in TrakCare at all times and that he overrode 22 alerts presented in three batches whilst prescribing, selecting “consultant’s decision” and entering his password each time. Dr Kim accepted that he bears primary responsibility for the error.

Criticism was made of the hospital’s pharmacist:

In the Pharmacy, Ms Bui, the dispensing pharmacist, failed to adequately assess the appropriateness of the Fentanyl patch for Paul, particularly having regard to the fact that an opioid naïve patient had been prescribed the strongest dose and the fact that Fentanyl patches were not regularly prescribed for postoperative pain.

Criticism was also made of the nursing staff:

A similar absence of critical thinking was displayed by the nursing staff. The Recovery nurses did not question the order for the Fentanyl PCA, despite the Fentanyl PCA not being discussed during handover. The Ward 1 nurses did not assess whether the Fentanyl patch was appropriate medication for a patient in Paul’s circumstances and did not adjust their practices to reflect the risks posed once the Fentanyl patch was administered.