Panel hearing summary 2020.0886

Decision of the Medical Board of Australia

Performance and professional standards panel 

Jurisdiction: Queensland
Date of Decision: 8 June 2020

Classification of Notification

Summary

The Board referred allegations that the Practitioner failed to comply with conditions on his registration which required him to submit to an audit of his practice and provide a written audit plan within specified time frames.

The Practitioner conceded that he had breached the conditions. He informed the Panel that he had found it difficult to locate an auditor with the requisite experience. The auditors were eventually located by Ahpra and appointed by the Medical Board. Once an auditor was appointed, the issue became payment of the audit fees. The Panel considered that the fees charged by the auditors were excessive and unreasonable. The Panel noted that the Practitioner’s financial difficulties meant that he was unable to pay for the audit fees and was therefore unable to comply with the audit requirements.

The Panel found that the Practitioner had behaved in a way that constituted unprofessional conduct. The Panel reprimanded the Practitioner and strongly encouraged him to ensure strict compliance with the conditions moving forward.