Physiotherapist Ray Wong found guilty of professional misconduct, unsatisfactory professional conduct

A Sydney physio who massaged a woman’s breasts during cellulite treatment has been found guilty of professional misconduct by a civil tribunal, two years after his criminal conviction was overturned.

A tribunal found physiotherapist Ray Wong guilty of professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct.

A physiotherapist who massaged a woman’s breasts during cellulite treatment has been found guilty of professional misconduct in a civil tribunal two years after his criminal conviction was quashed.

Wah Fu Wong, also known as Ray Wong, was found to have massaged the patient’s breasts at the Active Motion Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre, in Ryde, in May 2020.

In December, the Health Care Complaints Commission prosecuted four complaints against Wong in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which ultimately found him guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct.

The tribunal found he had used his position as a physiotherapist to solicit a patient on Gumtree to receive free cellulite treatment, using the name Leo, despite such treatments not falling under his job description.

Flabbergasted over her treatment, the tribunal heard how the woman said Wong grabbed her breasts under the towel during the session.

The Ryde physiotherapy centre which Ray Wong owned, along with one in Chatswood. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

“Ray began to run both of his hands down the sides of my breasts and then down my stomach and up my arms, each time getting closer to my breasts and vagina,’’ she said.

“I started to feel shocked and confused.

“Ray was standing behind and beside the bed while massaging me. Ray kept doing this for about five minutes and was standing beside me before he grabbed my breasts under the towel with both hands massaged my breasts. This action made (the) towel fall off, exposing my breasts to Ray.’’

The tribunal heard her say he kept his hands on her chest for “more than a couple of seconds” and was about 1cm from her breasts with his mouth open, as if he was going to “kiss or lick” them.

After the session, CCTV captured a conversation in which the woman told Wong: “I don’t know if it’s common or not, but for me it’s not.”

Wong said: “No, no. I’ve just - I’ve just been - I think I’ve just been - haven’t been thinking straight. So I do apologise.

Ray Wong outside the Ryde clinic. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu

“And I feel really sorry and embarrassed.”

The next day, he texted her and apologised for “misunderstanding” her needs.

“I hope you can get pass (sic) it and there will be no misunderstanding again.

“We value the effort you have made so far with the exercise and improvement we have already made.

“I promise we will get your best results for your cellulite even if we need to do more treatments.’’

The same month, Wong was charged with sexually touching another person without consent and aggravated sexually touching another person without consent.

His registration was suspended in June 2020.

He was found guilty in Burwood Local Court but the convictions were overturned on appeal in the NSW District Court in July 2022, when a judge described the allegation Wong had touched the patient’s breasts as a “she said, he said” case.

She also said the woman failed to tell police in her statement about the breast touching and Wong’s apology to the woman was not solely about the massage.

The civil tribunal found, on the balance of probabilities, the patient’s evidence to be clear and consistent.

In contrast, it found Wong’s evidence was “unconvincing in various respects”.

Wong denied inappropriately massaging the patient’s breasts and stomach, or placing his face near her chest.

He also denied failing to conduct an appropriate initial assessment of the patient.

The tribunal described the massage as “clearly unacceptable conduct, and conduct which is serious enough to warrant suspension or cancellation of the practitioner’s registration’’.

The (NSW Physiotherapy Council) delegatesremained concerned that the practitioner’s behaviour and clinical practice fell far short of that expected of a registered health professional and as such posed a significant risk to the health and safety of the public,” it said.

“(The practitioner) has demonstrated poor clinical practice, unprofessional behaviour and acted in a manner which brings the profession and its members into disrepute in the eyes of the general public.”

That included Wong approaching the patient for a free cellulite treatment on Gumtree after she posted an ad seeking a job as a barista. But instead of coffee, Wong offered the free cellulite treatment in exchange for a written testimonial for advertising purposes.

He did not confirm or deny this and the tribunal treated it as a denial.

The physiotherapy council does not consider zapping fat cells to be “standard practice for physiotherapists”.

“Seeking clients through trolling social media and offering free services as enticements does not represent good professional practice,’’ it stated.

The matter is to be listed for directions ahead of its return to the tribunal.

Originally published as Physiotherapist Ray Wong found guilty of professional misconduct, unsatisfactory professional conduct