SE doctor Jeffrey Bryan Taylor retires after restrictions put on registration

A prominent South East GP and obstetrician has had onerous restrictions put on his registration, putting enormous strain on child birthing services in the region and has retired.

Prominent South East GP Dr Jeffrey Bryan Taylor, who delivers dozens of babies a year has had restrictions imposed on his registration preventing contact with female patients, putting enormous pressure on childbirth services at a regional hospital. Picture istock

A prominent South East GP who delivers dozens of babies a year has had restrictions imposed on his registration preventing contact with female patients, putting enormous pressure on childbirth services at a regional hospital.

Dr Jeffrey Bryan Taylor, a director at Naracoorte’s Kincraig Medical Clinic who also was principal medical officer of Naracoorte Health Service, had restrictions imposed by the Medical Board of Australia as of October 1.

The restrictions, publicly available, follow a complaint to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Under the conditions, he must not have any contact with female patients nor practice using telehealth.

It is understood the restrictions stem from a single complainant and relate to a consensual relationship.

An AHPRA spokesman said: “We cannot comment about matters relating to individual practitioners beyond information that is already on the public record, including the register of practitioners.”

Kincraig Medical Clinic did not respond to a request for comment while Dr Taylor told The Advertiser he was unable to comment due to legal advice.

However he did say he had “decided to retire from the partnership and from services at Naracoorte Hospital effective immediately and re-evaluate after being on call so long for 24-7, for 25 years”.

Dr Jeff Taylor from Naracoorte.

Naracoorte Health Service delivers babies from a catchment of 100km radius taking in Keith, Kingston, Robe and Bordertown. Dr Taylor did about 50 per cent of the 150-to-180 babies delivered each year.

Women from places such as Keith would face a 400km round trip if they had to go to Mt Gambier due to problems with services at Naracoorte.

The loss of an experienced local GP is an added blow to the region.

Naracoorte Health Service

Limestone Coast Local Health Network executive director medical services, Dr Sue Abhary, said there had been “no interruption” to maternity and obstetric services that were “well staffed”.

Dr Taylor’s CV says he is a Justice of the Peace and has been the chief examiner for the Diploma of Obstetrics exam in Australia for the past six years as well as being an examiner for the exam since 2002.

Dr Taylor was actively involved with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists as the representative for all rural GPs from 2002 to 2009 and was awarded the distinguished service award for his services to the college.

He has been an examiner of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, a member of the Rural Doctors Association of SA and was its vice president from 2014 to 2016.

Originally published as SE doctor Jeffrey Bryan Taylor retires after restrictions put on registration