Dr Anthony John Evans suspended

A Medical Council panel suspended the medical registration of Lake Macquarie medical practitioner, Dr Anthony John Evans on 28 October 2021. The decision took effect immediately.

The Council has taken this regulatory action in order to protect the health and safety of the public and to maintain confidence in the medical profession. The Council has written to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) which has recorded the suspension on the online public register of practitioners.

The Council will also be referring the practitioner to the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission for investigation as is required by law.

The Council cannot release any further details about this decision, including the reasons or any details about the complaints that have prompted this regulatory action.

The Council will not be making any further public comments.

Background

The Medical Council works in collaboration with the co-regulator, the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) to receive and manage complaints about doctors and medical students in NSW. The Council’s paramount obligation is to protect the public by ensuring doctors in NSW practise safely and in accordance with professional standards and conduct expected of them by the community.

The Council deals with individual doctors whose conduct, performance or health may represent a risk to the public and works with them, where possible, to reduce that risk by for example, placing conditions on their medical registration.

Council has the power to consider urgent regulatory action when a complaint or notification prompts serious concerns about risk to public safety or the need to otherwise act in the public interest. Panel members include community representatives as well as medical practitioners.

The NSW Medical Council’s panels are not public under laws governing all health professional councils in NSW. However, should delegates make a formal decision to impose conditions on a medical practitioner or suspend a practitioner, these details are published and available via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) register of practitioners.

The Council does not have punitive powers and cannot de-register a medical practitioner.