Tribunal suspends Gold Coast dentist Amer Patel for supervision breach

A Gold Coast dentist has been fined and suspended for eight months after admitting to hundreds of breaches of supervision rules and misleading authorities about his compliance.

A Gold Coast dentist was fined $30,000 for ignoring supervisory conditions

A Gold Coast dentist has been fined $30,000 and suspended for eight months after Queensland’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal found he had engaged in professional misconduct, broke strict registration rules and gave false information to regulators.

Dr Amer Patel, 36, was reprimanded and sanctioned after admitting to hundreds of breaches of conditions imposed by the Dental Board of Australia starting in June 2021.

The suspension was despite his appointed mentor, Dr Ralph Kelsey, a senior dentist, stating to the tribunal that Dr Patel’s provision of treatment was, in his view, not causing any concern for the health and safety of the public and that he had “the inherent qualities required of a registered health practitioner”, including maintaining integrity, professional judgment and ethical decision making.

Dr Kelsey was appointed by the regulators as Dr Patel’s mentor after the suspension.

The tribunal documents showed that Dr Kelsey found the practitioner’s clinical records were developed to a high standard, his billing practices were accurate and he had been sincere in his efforts to address the board and Ahpra’s concerns.

Dr Patel’s registration was suspended on November 8, 2021, after a compliance audit revealed extensive noncompliance with the board-imposed restrictions.

The outside of the Gold Coast dental clinic. Picture: Facebook

The board placed the limitations on him after concerns about his billing practices, clinical assessments, and record keeping.

The conditions required Dr Patel to only practice in board-approved locations, be supervised at all times by an approved supervisor, and undergo formal mentoring to address deficiencies in patient care and ethical conduct.

However, between late June and early November 2021, Dr Patel practised without the required supervision on 730 occasions.

He also falsely claimed to be in compliance with the conditions, misleading both the board and Ahpra, as documented in the tribunal’s findings.

The breaches came to light after Dr Patel admitted in a January 2022 letter that he had been non-compliant on 422 occasions.

However, further investigation revealed the actual number of breaches to be significantly higher.

“The conduct of the respondent was objectively serious and put public safety at risk,” the Tribunal said in its published decision on April 2.

“He prioritised the financial impact of the conditions on himself and his family over patient safety.”

Dr Patel had originally been placed under restrictions following three notifications in 2019 that raised concerns about his clinical judgment, treatment planning, and billing practices.

The board required close oversight of Dr Patel, including monthly reporting from supervisors and mentors, but he disregarded the terms after they took effect.

Ahpra reminded him on at least six separate occasions that he could not practise without approved supervision, yet he continued to treat patients in breach of the orders, the court documents showed.

He also submitted inaccurate information in emails and legal correspondence to the Board, as outlined in the Tribunal’s decision.

Although the tribunal acknowledged that Dr Patel had shown some insight and remorse since the breaches, it found the pattern of noncompliance demonstrated that he was not, at the time, a fit and proper person to hold registration.

The misconduct included dishonesty and recklessness in dealing with the regulator, tribunal documents showed.

The tribunal ordered that Dr Patel be reprimanded, fined $30,000, and suspended from practice for eight months, with the suspension starting on April 23, 2025.

Dr Patel remains responsible for all costs associated with his compliance with the imposed conditions.

His registration remains subject to the original conditions, including supervised practice, mentoring, and mandatory reporting by senior staff and supervisors at any approved practice location, effective until further review by the Dental Board.

Originally published as Tribunal suspends Gold Coast dentist Amer Patel for supervision breach