Grieving teenager says Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency ‘killed’ her father Dr Yen-Yung Yap

The daughter of an Adelaide doctor wrote to Scott Morrison, saying her dad had taken his own life after being “wrongly accused” of misconduct.

The teenage daughter of an Adelaide doctor who died amid an inquiry into his clinical care appealed to Prime Minister Scott Morrison to reform the nation’s medical regulator.

Joyce Yap wrote to Mr Morrison three months after her gynaecologist father Dr Yen-Yung Yap, who had been banned from undertaking vaginal births without supervision, was found dead in Kuitpo Forest on September 5 last year after being reported missing two days earlier.

In a December 14 letter, Joyce, 15, accused the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency of “killing” her dad.

Mr Morrison responded nine days later, empathising with Joyce as he had “lost my father almost a year ago”.

Joyce’s letter was revealed during emotional evidence given by her mother Mei-Khing Loo to a parliamentary committee into health services in SA, which also heard a police inquiry into her husband’s death was ongoing.

Dr Yen-Yung Yap and Mei-Khing Loo on their wedding day in 2003

Dr Yen-Yung Yap was reported missing prior to his death.

Dr Yen-Yung Yap and wife Mei-Khing Loo with their children Edwin, Joyce and Michelle.

Ms Loo, who at times fought back tears during evidence, also:

REITERATED calls for the medical regulator to reopen the investigation into her husband’s case in the “public interest”;

SUPPORTED suggestions from the committee that an independent body could oversee the actions and conduct of AHPRA and make it more accountable.

In a copy of Joyce’s letter, which Ms Loo gave to The Advertiser, her daughter said her father was the “most caring and smartest person” and had been “wrongly accused”.

“(AHPRA) killed my father and whats (sic) even worse is that innocent and good doctors might follow my father down this horrible path,” she wrote.

“I hope this particular system will change not because of revenge for my father, but to help other devoted doctors.”

The medical board had in March 2020 banned Dr Yap, 43, from performing vaginal births unless supervised following a complaint about his alleged repeated use of suctions to deliver two babies who suffered bleeding on the skull, but who made a full recovery.

A year earlier the board had separately reprimanded Dr Yap and ordered he undertake training and education after “several complaints” about his conduct and performance, according to an SA Health Practitioners Tribunal.

An AHPRA spokeswoman said Dr Yap was appealing registration conditions at the time of his death.

“There were also open investigations. Following his death, we closed our investigations … there is no basis to reopen those investigations,” the spokeswoman said.

She said APHRA continued to review its processes and had met with representatives of Dr Yap’s family.

Mei-Khing Loo said her family have moved out of their Clovelly Park house because the memories are too traumatic. Picture: Tom Huntley

In his response, Mr Morrison praised Joyce’s “devotion” to her father.

“I can tell you are a strong young person, but even the strongest amongst us need help to navigate times of pain and grief,” he wrote, suggesting Joyce “reach out” to youth mental health organisation Headspace.

He referred her inquiry to federal Health Minister Greg Hunt who wrote to Joyce and acknowledged her “anger and frustration” with AHPRA’s processes and the impact of the investigation on her family.

“Regulatory action against a doctor is only taken once AHPRA has investigated thoroughly and the MBA (Medical Board of Australia) has determined that action is required to address the patient safety concerns,” he wrote.

“In your father’s case I understand a number of complaints were made against him over time and he was provided with the opportunity to make submissions to the MBA in response to these complaints.”

Flowers placed where Dr Yen-Yung Yap was found in Kuitpo Forest.

Ms Loo told parliament said she was unable to “sleep through the night” since her husband’s death.

“AHPRA should never be able to place a health professional in a situation where suicide is an outcome in their process of investigation,” she said.

“There has not been an internal audit of his suicide, that I have been made aware of, for AHPRA to ascertain and learn from this tragic event.”

Wayne Duffy, who supported Ms Loo at the hearing, said AHPRA’s “treatment” of health practitioners had changed “little” despite investigations and senate inquiries into its conduct.

“There have been many health practitioners that have died by suicide, or have had their careers destroyed, Yung has been one of them,” he said.

SA Police confirmed it was still preparing a report for the Coroner.

AHPRA was also assisting police prepare a report for the SA Coroner.

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