Clara Isabella Johanna Jonsson suspended for professional misconduct

A regional Queensland doctor who treated relatives has pleaded not to be suspended, claiming her patients would be forced to travel 150km for medical care.

Dr Isabelle Jonsson-Lear tried to use the state’s regional medico shortage to avoid a suspension for professional misconduct.

A Queensland doctor tried to use the state’s regional medico shortage to avoid a suspension for professional misconduct, arguing her patients would be forced to travel 150km to seek medical care.

Lawyers for Kingaroy doctor Clara Isabella Johanna Jonsson submitted a $15,000 fine would be a more appropriate penalty for findings that she had treated relatives in violation of the medical board’s code of conduct.

But a tribunal found the seriousness of her conduct outweighed concerns about medical resources, imposing a three month suspension on her registration.

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Monday found Dr Jonsson had engaged in professional misconduct and unprofessional conduct by treating two relatives and failing to maintain professional boundaries with a third patient on dates ranging between 2015 and 2018.

She was formally reprimanded and will be suspended from practising for three months.

“The respondent’s treatment of Patients A, B and C, is clearly in breach of the Code,” the tribunal wrote.

“The respondent provided treatment to all three patients over an extended period of time, in relation to a wide variety of general medical needs, in circumstances where each patient had their own primary general practitioner within Kingaroy.

“The respondent has clearly provided treatment in circumstances which were not unavoidable.”

Dr Jonsson, who owns Haly Health and Skin Medical Centre in Kingaroy, also failed to keep adequate medical records in relation to the two relatives.

She submitted that instead of a suspension, she should be fined $15,000.

“If I am no longer able to practise then these patients will be forced to travel to metropolitan areas (the closest being Toowoomba, which is 150km away) to access this care,” Dr Jonsson wrote in her affidavit to the tribunal.

Dr Jonsson, who trained in South Africa and moved to Australia in 1999, said she did not think she was doing anything wrong by treating her relatives.

She said as a result of further education: “I have recognised in myself a tendency to be too compassionate and caring and to try to ‘walk the extra mile’.”

“I have always found it difficult to refuse help to anyone who needs it … particularly when I know that I have the knowledge base and expertise to assist them,” she wrote.

It is the second time Dr Jonsson has faced disciplinary action.

In 2017 she was reprimanded, fined $2000 and given a 12 month suspension wholly suspended for 12 months after she was found to have failed to maintain a professional relationship with a patient and inappropriately prescribed drugs to others.

The tribunal found the latest misconduct was “concerning” and took into account references from colleagues, community leader and local politicians.

“All of these references speak highly of the respondent, particularly with regard to her competency in treating skin cancer,” the tribunal wrote.

“Many of the references also speak to the scarce availability of medical services to rural communities such as in Kingaroy.

“The Tribunal acknowledges that any suspension of the respondent’s registration will have an adverse effect on the availability of medical services in Kingaroy. However, such a factor does not mitigate the seriousness of the respondent’s conduct.”

In addition to the reprimand and suspension, conditions were placed on Dr Jonsson’s registration prohibiting her from supervising medical students and requiring her to submit to an audit, specifically focusing on the treatment of relatives.

“Given the deficiencies in her understanding of, and commitment to, ethical obligations as outlined in the Code, the Tribunal is of the view that the respondent should be prohibited from supervising medical students and registrars,” the judgment said.

“The risk of her ethical misguidance outweighs any benefit her expertise would bring.”