Sydney neurosurgeon Charlie Teo to face NSW Medical Council after complaints

Charlie Teo, one of Australia’s most famous doctors, is facing complaints from other doctors alleging he operated on patients whose conditions were inoperable.

Acclaimed neurosurgeon Charlie Teo will on Thursday fight for the right to continue operating on patients when he is called before an urgent panel of the NSW Medical Council, which is set to hear a number of complaints against him.

The complaints against one of Australia’s most famous medical figures deal with his methods of treatment of patients with inoperable conditions.

Dr Teo, 63, declined to comment yesterday. He is believed to be preparing to strongly defend the allegations.

The council has the power to suspend Dr Teo immediately, impose conditions on him — or do nothing.

The neurosurgeon revealed two years ago that he had been threatened with disciplinary action by the NSW Health Complaints Commission when he read a letter from them at a Canberra conference held by the Health Professionals Australian Reform Association.

At the time he said the HCCC had warned him against making “comments which may undermine confidence in colleagues’ directive decisions relating to patients”.

He also hit back at University of Sydney professor of surgery Henry Woo, who has criticised Dr Teo over his billing practices.

Dr Teo has said he gets a fraction of the funds, with the bulk of the money going to the cost of private hospital treatment. The doctor has always been open about offering last-chance brain surgery.

“As a neurosurgeon I offer surgery to patients from all around the world who have been given no hope,” he states on his website for the Charlie Teo Foundation.

Dr Charlie Teo, pictured at Cobblers Beach in Sydney. Picture: AAP Image

The state’s Medical Council operates in private but decisions by it can be ­appealed to the NSW Civil and ­Administrative Tribunal.

Dr Teo can be advised by a lawyer but will speak up for himself as the lawyer is prohibited from asking questions.

His case will be heard remotely by a panel of three which is expected to include an expert neurosurgeon — probably from interstate, as they will have to consider in detail if Dr Teo wrongly operated on people whose lives could not be saved, what he told them and what kind of ­informed consent he obtained.

The hearing is being conducted under section 150 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law that gives the panel the power to “suspend or impose conditions on the practitioner’s registration as a temporary measure”.

“We must take immediate action if we decide that it is appropriate to protect the health and safety of any person or it is in the public interest,” the Medical Council’s website states.

The panel also has the power to impose conditions on Dr Teo’s ­registration.

It cannot remove his licence to practise,  that  must be decided by the CAT. The HCCC yesterday said it had “completed a number of investigations in relation to Dr Charlie Teo” and these finalised matters had been referred to the independent Director of Proceedings.

That person determines whether disciplinary action should be taken against a health professional.

“A further related investigation is being finalised. To ensure that the integrity of the legal processes and further investigation are not compromised, the Commission is unable to provide further comment on those matters at this time,” a spokesman for the HCCC said.