Geelong doctors banned, suspended amid 190 complaints in region

A number of Geelong region practitioners are on the naughty list on the back of complaints to the state’s health watchdog.

A Victorian health watchdog received more than 190 complaints from Greater Geelong residents last financial year, new data reveals.

It comes as the Australian Health Practitioner Agency revealed, as of last week, 11 practitioners were currently suspended in the region, covering Geelong, Surf Coast, the Bellarine Peninsula and Colac-Otway.

The national regulator received 227 notifications in the region in 2021-22, down from 255 notifications in 2020-21.

According to an AHPRA annual report, notifications provided a way for anyone to raise concerns about issues including performance or conduct.

Notifications don’t automatically mean regulatory action would be taken, it noted.

Meanwhile, in 2021-22 Victoria’s Health Complaints Commissioner received 193 complaints from Greater Geelong residents compared to 262 in 2020-21.

Health Complaints Commissioner Adjunct Professor Bernice Redley noted about 38 per cent of complaints in 2021-22 did not have complainant address details recorded.

“This figure was around 20 per cent in 2018-19 and 2019-20,” she said.

“The increase in proportion was largely due to remote working arrangements during the Covid-19 lockdown period, where public mainly left voice messages via our general phoneline and an increase in complaints lodged online.”

Last financial year, the category with the most complaints recorded from Greater Geelong residents was prison health services with 83.

The health complaints commissioner received 38 for registered practitioners, 29 hospital complaints and 26 for clinics from Greater Geelong residents.

The commissioner can receive complaints about the provision of any health service in Victoria.

“This includes complaints about individual health service providers, whether they are registered practitioners or general health service providers,” she said.

“Complaints can also be about organisations, including hospitals and community health services.”

While the commissioner cannot take disciplinary action against registered health practitioners, other outcomes may be able to be achieved.

AHPRA deals with the registration and accreditation, as well as the health, performance and professional conduct, of individual health practitioners.

The commissioner and AHPRA share information about complaints and notifications that could be the subject of action by the other body and decide which agency is best placed to respond to a complaint.

To seem some of the region’s banned doctors, visit geelongadvertiser.com.au

GEELONG’S BANNED DOCTORS

Denes Borsos

Police were called to the Colac GP’s practice in October last year after droves of people allegedly travelled there for Covid-19 vaccine exemptions.

Officers attended the scene to disperse the crowd.

Denes Borsos was suspended. Picture: Facebook

His booking website at the time included the all-capitalised note “SORRY!!! NO MORE JAB EXEMPTIONS, HELP YOURSELVES THE BEST YOU CAN”.

AHPRA confirmed his registration is currently suspended.

Joseph Chirawu

Geelong doctor Joseph Chirawu was convicted of sexually and indecently assaulting a patient.

He has been freed from custody pending the outcome of an appeal.

Chirawu was found guilty in June after incidents involving a female patient in August 2012 and May 2021 at the Geelong City Medical Clinic.

Chirawu was found not guilty of the assault of a female patient in August 2020.

Chirawu is due to face the County Court in Melbourne later this year to start an appeal against his conviction and four-month jail term.

Joseph Chirawu.

Ryan Robertson, managing lawyer at Dribbin & Brown Criminal Lawyers, who acted for Chirawu, said he disputed the allegations.

“It is important to note that this appeal only ­relates to one of the two alleged victims, as Dr Chirawu was found not guilty in the Magistrates Court with respect to one of them,” Mr Robertson said earlier this year.

Chirawu is currently listed as suspended on the AHPRA website.

Shafiul Milky

Former Ocean Grove GP Shafiul Milky was committed to stand trial on allegations involving rape and sexual assault.

AHPRA lists his registration as suspended.

Shafiul Milky

The general practitioner was committed to stand trial on eight charges, including two counts each of rape and sexual assault.

Dr Milky was also charged with four counts of indecent assault.

According to court documents, the rape allegations stem from separate dates in 2017 and 2018.

Charge sheets alleged Dr Milky digitally raped a woman on each occasion under the guise of performing a legitimate medical procedure.

The assault charges also involve female patients and date back to 2012.

The Addy last year reported he was contesting the allegations.

The trial has not yet occurred.

Chris Bradshaw

Chris Bradshaw.

A former Cats doctor was in 2020 stripped of his medical licence after he prescribed medications for — and had sexual relations with — a patient who later fatally overdosed.

Christopher Bradshaw, who was also a leading physician at Collingwood, was disqualified from applying for registration as a health practitioner until October 2025.

A Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruling revealed he breached the medical practitioners’ code of conduct by not only having a sexual relationship with a patient but also prescribing her with an array of drugs.

Bradshaw also practised at clinics around Geelong.

Originally published as Geelong doctors banned, suspended amid 190 complaints in region