Disgraced deviant cardiologist Andrew McGavigan banned from practising medicine for a decade

A once-revered Adelaide cardiologist has been banned from practising for a decade, after a tribunal ruled his “abhorrent” crimes brought the medical profession into disrepute.

Cardiologist Andrew McGavigan leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court in 2021 after pleading guilty to child exploitation offences. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

A prominent Adelaide cardiologist who downloaded more than 9000 images of “deviant” child abuse has been banned from working in the medical profession for 10 years.

Andrew McGavigan, 51, of Hawthorn was jailed for three years and four months, with a 12-month non-parole period, in August 2021. He had pleaded guilty to three offences including accessing and possessing or controlling child abuse material using a carriage service.

After he was jailed, the Australian Health Practitioners Agency filed a complaint with the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, seeking McGavigan be reprimanded, his offending classified as professional misconduct and he be banned from providing any health services.

In a ruling published this week, the tribunal imposed the requested sanctions, noting McGavigan’s conduct “significantly damages public confidence in the medical profession” and that he had “abused and now forfeited the privilege” of practising medicine.

Before he was jailed, Andrew McGavigan was recognised as an exceptionally accomplished cardiologist.

“Given the child abuse material accessed and possessed by the respondent is particularly abhorrent according to the law enforcement authorities … there can be no doubt in our view that the respondent is an unfit and improper person to be practising the profession of medicine in any capacity,” the tribunal found.

“The nature of his conduct strikes at the very heart of a medical practitioner’s ethical responsibilities and the Hippocratic oath which he would have sworn to care for ill members of our community including the very young and vulnerable.”

McGavigan was “mute” before the tribunal and did not provide any response to the disciplinary proceedings.

“Child sex offences involve the abuse of a position of trust and power over vulnerable members of the community, and for that reason alone are particularly abhorrent,” the tribunal’s ruling said.

During hearings in the District Court, a judge heard McGavigan downloaded child abuse material to a storage application on five separate occasions in 2020.

McGavigan’s offending had also included engaging in “lurid” online discussions with Thai-based sex workers about accessing children for sexual activity.

In its ruling, the tribunal said it had taken into account the District Court proceedings and outcome.

In her sentencing, Judge Julie McIntyre said the material was “the vilest form of abuse” which was “deviant, distressing and disturbing”.

Glasgow-born McGavigan came to SA in 2007 and was a highly regarded cardiac specialist who was also a member of numerous boards and associations including the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.

McGavigan was director of cardiac electrophysiology and pacing for the Southern Area Local Health Care Network and has authored more than 50 clinical papers, reviews and book chapters.