About our Council and members
Our role as a health regulator
We manage concerns about how medical practitioners behave, their professional performance, or whether their health is affecting patient care.
We work closely with the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) to regulate registered practitioners. Both regulators are entrusted with protecting the public, but we have different powers under the law.
The HCCC can conduct investigations and prosecute practitioners. The Council helps them meet the standards needed to practise safely, and this can include placing restrictions, or conditions, on their registration.
We have emergency interim powers to suspend or restrict practitioners if we decide there is an immediate public safety risk – or if we need to act in the public interest. But our role is to protect patients rather than punish practitioners.
How our Council is formed
The Medical Council is one of 15 Health Professional Councils in NSW. We have at least 12 medical practitioner members and 6 community members.
Professional colleges and associations nominate medical professionals for our Council. Community members apply in response to public advertisements calling for expressions of interest.
The NSW Minister for Health appoints both practitioner and community members based on the skills, experience and knowledge needed for the role
Current members of the Medical Council
President
Dr Elizabeth Tompsett
Deputy President
Dr Veronica Payne
Practitioner members
Dr Stephen Buckley
Dr Anju Aggarwal
Dr Claire Blizard
Dr Cameron Korb-Wells
Assoc Prof John Kasinathan
Dr Michael Bonning
Dr Tim Green
Dr Kieren Wilson
Dr Rodney Martin
Dr Julia Fomiatti
Community members
Professor Isabel Karpin
Ms Kerrie Murphy
Dr Amanda Mead
Mrs Annette Ruhotas Morgan AM
Mike Christensen
Ms Jeanette Barker
How we work with the Health Professional Councils Authority
The HPCA manages the Council’s day-to-day business, from initial complaints assessment to complaint case management, and monitoring practitioners with conditions on their registration.
We work closely with the HPCA Medical Council Executive Officer and their team, and other staff members across the HPCA, who provide legal, financial and other corporate advice. Their work is important to our role as the regulatory decision maker. We have different, but complementary, responsibilities.
Meet some Medical Council members
Dr Liz Tompsett, Council President and surgeon
Dr Liz Tompsett talks about giving back to the medical profession, maintaining work-life balance, patient communication and how she built a successful career as a surgeon.
Dr Veronica Payne and Annette Ruhotas Morgan AM
Dr Veronica Payne (medical practitioner member) and Annette Ruhotas Morgan AM (community member) share what motivated them to join the Medical Council. They discuss the types of complaints they see and common misconceptions about the Council.