Gynecologist Dr Bruno Giorgio faces suspension over ‘fornication’ joke to patient

A former Shepparton gynaecologist has admitted to making a “bad” joke to a patient but says it may have been misunderstood because of his accent.

A retired former Shepparton gynaecologist has admitted to making a “bad” and “inappropriate” joke about “fornication” to a patient, among a string of other sub-par conduct in the final years of his career.

The Medical Board of Australia on Monday asked the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to disqualify Dr Bruno Giorgio for two years, a sanction which would have only a symbolic impact given he retired in October 2020.

Dr Giorgio is also accused of prescribing medications to himself and his family, in breach of strict rules banning doctors from doing so, failing to get proper consent from a patient before an examination.

He is also accused of “bumbling” his way through passing on a baseless allegation to a family which he “didn’t have a basis for”.

Dr Giorgio is accused of prescribing medications to himself and his family. Picture: Supplied/Goulburn Valley Health

The details of the allegation were not detailed at Monday’s hearing, but the board’s barrister, Emily Latif, said: “The family had to deal with the shockwaves of having to deal with it in the terms that it was raised.”

“The bumbling … was prolific on all levels.”

“This very serious matter was raised in a store room where the carer receiving this shocking medical advice did not have support.

Ms Latif said Dr Giorgio’s conduct justified a heavy penalty “so that the entire medical profession has the opportunity to consider and reflect on the power that they have”.

Dr Giorgio was working as a gynecologist when he made an ‘inappropriate’ joke to a patient. Picture: Supplied/Goulburn Valley Health

Barrister Robert Harper, for Dr Giorgio, said his client admitted telling a “very bad quip, or joke”.

Mr Harper said Dr Giorgio admitted his patient heard him say “a very bad joke, an inappropriate joke, using the word fornicate”, but Dr Giorgio said the joke might have been partly misunderstood because of his heavy accent.

Mr Harper said the medications Dr Giorgio prescribed to himself and to family members were appropriate treatments for legitimately diagnosed conditions, and were not the kinds of drugs which could be misused.

The tribunal will hand down its decision at a later date.