Dural doctor Wenxong He banned from working with female patients
A doctor has been banned from treating female patients over the age of 12 after a complaint was made against him for a long, “inappropriate” vaginal examination in Dural. He now treats male patients only at Northmead Medical Centre.
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A doctor, who a tribunal found had performed an “inappropriate” speculum examination on a woman in Dural after examining her vagina for 20 minutes, has been hit with strict conditions on his medical licence.
Dr Wenxong He appeared at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal on May 7, and was found to have breached the Medical Board of Australia’s “Sexual Boundaries: guidelines for doctors”.
He was banned from working with female patients over the age of 12, despite the Health Care Complaints Commission’s efforts to have his registration cancelled.
Tribunal documents reveal the shocking details of an incident on May 8, 2017 at Dural Family Medical Practice.
A woman, 47, reported concerns about pain while urinating and blood in her urine, a condition which had also stopped her from having sex for 18 months “because it was painful”.
Her medical history included suffering from a longstanding painful condition of her vulva.
Dr He came to the conclusion the symptoms could be from a pelvic infection and took urine samples before conducting an examination.
The tribunal heard Dr He continued the examination despite the patient expressing her pain and did so for a period that was “not clinically warranted”.
It was also heard that Dr He “repeatedly inserted the speculum” when the patient had a known painful condition and had complained of pain.
“Dr He admitted these allegations and agreed that they constitute unsatisfactory professional conduct,” the tribunal noted.
The examination went for 20 minutes and caused the woman to have “spasms”. In response he “inappropriately” asked her to perform kegel pelvic floor exercises against his fingers, at which point the patient left.
According to tribunal documents, three days later the woman reported the incident to the police, noting the strange behaviour by the doctor, including locking the door and continuing the examination after she expressed pain.
She told police “the longer the examination went on I felt really afraid, because it didn’t feel right.”
No charges were laid against Dr He.
According to tribunal documents the examination was found to be “inappropriate” and some of the requests were done “where there was no clinical indication”.
Dr He acknowledged there was “a degree of incompetence and lack of adequate care” and said he had a limited understanding of the nature of her existing condition.
The tribunal ruled Dr He was “not to consult, examine, treat or perform any procedures on any female patient over the age of 12 years except to render urgent attention”.
He also has to obtain approval from the Medical Council of NSW before changing the nature or place of his practice and he can only practise in a facility where there are at least two other medical practitioners, with at least one other registered medical practitioner onsite.
The tribunal heard Dr He has received a number of complaints by female patients in the past with a recurring theme around his communication during physical examinations of patients.
Dr He confirmed to the tribunal he had since undertaken a communication course and stopped working at Dural Family Medical Centre in June 2017.
Since October 2017, he has been employed at the Northmead Medical Centre.
Northmead Medical Centre was contacted for comment. Attempts were also made to contact Dr He.
A receptionist at Northmead Medical Centre said Dr He only currently treats male patients.