Dr Jamal Moussa found guilty of professional misconduct

A Northern Rivers doctor misdiagnosed a woman with mania, had sex with her and inappropriately prescribed narcotics.

The Health Care Complaints Commission has ruled on five complaints made against Dr Jamal Moussa, who was working at the Pottsville Family Practice and Skin Cancer Clinic when he breached guidelines and rules.

A Pottsville doctor has been found guilty of professional misconduct after misdiagnosing a woman with acute mania, inappropriately prescribing her narcotics and engaging in sexual intercourse with her.

Dr Jamal Moussa, who was practising at the Pottsville Family Practice and Skin Cancer Clinic at the time of the misconduct, had his matters heard in the Civil and Administrative Tribunal in May this year.

The allegations were raised by the Health Care Complaints Commission.

The tribunal’s findings have just been released.

It heard five separate complaints, each in respect to the same patient, which included failing to take appropriate assessments, inappropriate diagnoses, failing to conduct appropriate clinical reviews, inappropriate prescribing, inappropriate disclosure of personal information concerning himself to the patient, failing to maintain appropriate boundaries between himself and the patient and failing to maintain appropriate records.

According to court documents with the tribunal, the first complaint against the Lithuanian trained doctor referred to occasions between September 11 and November 22, 2018, when Dr Moussa inappropriately prescribed Oxycodone and Naloxone.

He also inappropriately diagnosed the patient with acute mania before inappropriately prescribing Seroquel before changing it to Olanzapine and referring the patient to a psychologist without adequate information.

During the time Dr Moussa did not consider the possibility the Oxycodone and Naloxone were causing the patient’s depression, despite the patient inquiring about it several times.

The second complaint referred to when the first patient’s daughter presented on February 9, 2018, with a mild cough.

Dr Moussa noted there was “no family history” of asthma, failed to properly diagnose the child with asthma and further prescribed her medication not suitable for children under 12.

The third complaint referred to Dr Moussa failing to maintain professional boundaries, where he disclosed to the patient he had separated from his wife, named his five-year-old daughter and showed photos of her between February and May 2018.

On January 3, 2019 Dr Moussa inappropriately ended the therapeutic relationship despite the illnesses she was suffering from.

He said words to the effect of “I can be your friend if you want me to. Well, you know, but you can’t come back in here as a patient. So you know it’s just friends”.

Between January 17, 2019 and March 7, Dr Moussa sent about 41 Facebook messages to the patient that were personal in nature.

On January 23 he met the patient at a Kingscliff juice bar where he discussed personal matters with her.

Dr Moussa then invited the patient to his house on February 13 where he engaged in sexual intercourse with her and told her she could “come over anytime.”

The fourth complaint referred to Dr Moussa failing to record any medical advice given regarding the Seroquel, Oxycodone and Naloxone prescriptions between September 11, 2018 and November 22, 2018.

Dr Moussa further failed to record any diagnostic observations for the diagnoses of “acute mania and psychosis” and made notes of a 10kg weight loss without records of any weight.

The final complaint referred to overall circumstances where Dr Moussa engaged in unsatisfactory conduct which would justify cancellation of his registration.

Prior to the tribunal’s hearing the Medical Council of New South Wales applied a number of conditions to Dr Moussa’s registration, including he was not permitted to treat women.

The tribunal found Dr Moussa guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct with respect to complaints one, two, three and four and guilty of professional misconduct.

Disciplinary action will be determined at a later date yet to be set.