Dr Paul Oosterhuis

The NSW Medical Council is aware of media and public speculation regarding Dr Paul Oosterhuis.

The Council confirms it has asked Dr Oosterhuis to attend an immediate action panel. By law, the Council cannot release any further details about the matter.

The Medical Council will not be making any further statements while it is in discussions with Dr Oosterhuis and any potential regulatory action is being considered. This is to protect the integrity of the processes that the Council applies in all cases and to ensure procedural fairness is extended to Dr Oosterhuis.

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.

Section 150 or immediate action panels are held by the Council 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 s.150 (immediate action) 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 these conditions 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.