Dr Anthony John Evans accused of fake vaccination exemptions suspended

A NSW doctor accused of issuing more than 400 fake vaccination exemptions has been suspended by medical authorities.

A mid-north coast doctor accused of handing out fake vaccination exemptions has been suspended. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

A mid-north coast doctor accused of handing out hundreds of fake vaccination exemptions has been suspended by medical authorities.

Dr Anthony John Evans’ registration was suspended by the Medical Council of NSW Thursday after the GP allegedly told police he had handed out 400 exemption certificates and was preparing another 330.

He has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.

The Saturday Telegraph understands a whistleblower who called 2GB host Ray Hadley said Dr Evans produced fake exemptions to teachers from Kempsey Adventist School.

That facility was locked down October 20 after two staff members tested positive to Covid-19.

“The Council has taken this regulatory action in order to protect the health and safety of the public and to maintain confidence in the medical profession,” a Medical Council of NSW spokesman said Friday.

“The Council has written to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) which has recorded the suspension on the online public register of practitioners.

“The Council will also be referring the practitioner to the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission for investigation as is required by law.”

Police referred Dr Evans to health authorities who are investigating his actions after the 84-year-old came out of retirement and supplied the certificates over email after phone consultations. He has not been charged.

Police interviewed Dr Evans after a whistleblower called into the Ray Hadley radio show about teachers at the Kempsey Seventh-day Adventist school using the certificates.

The church has now established a review panel with “external medical and legal advisers who will assess” any certificates teachers may offer up to try to bypass the November 8 deadline to be vaccinated.

President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Karen Price said fake vaccination exemptions were a huge problem. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Wayne Taylor

Karen Price, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, said earlier this month that the issuing of exemption certificates was a huge problem as vaccine mandates kicked in.

“This [allegation] sounds disturbing. We are hearing that there is a lot of demand for these medical exemptions but legitimate medical exemptions for vaccines are vanishingly rare,” she said.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church said it was fully supportive of vaccinations and was “deeply concerned by these allegations and will be fully supportive of any police investigation”.

“All Adventist schools in NSW will be fully compliant with the Public Health Orders as required on November 8, 2021,” the church said.

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church is … encouraging our members to be vaccinated.”

Dr Evans has been contacted for comment. His answering machine said they are no longer providing exemptions from vaccines and are not answering calls because “we are recovering from the ordeal of the past month”.