Responding to ‘recent media coverage’, a not-so-subtle reminder about practitioners’ notification obligations comes from the regulator.
AHPRA has come out swinging in response to “recent media coverage” – believed to be Monday’s Four Corners report on renowned gynaecologist Simon Gordon – reminding health practitioners of the “critical role” they play in maintaining “the highest healthcare standards” via notifications.
AHPRA was criticised by the ABC for “failing to act” on multiple complaints over four years from patients about Dr Gordon’s practices.
A senior professor of gynaecology, who refused to be named, said AHPRA had “dropped the ball” when it took no action over complaints from two patients.
According to the ABC, the women complained to AHPRA in 2024 that Dr Gordon’s surgeries on them were unnecessarily aggressive and took too much tissue but were told in October 2024 that AHPRA was taking their complaints no further.
The anonymous professor alleged that when a colleague approached AHPRA about Dr Gordon, they were told the regulator “did not want doctor-led complaints and that the complaints had to come from the patients”.
AHPRA released a statement which avoided any mention of the Four Corners report or anything about any specific complaint process. It said that it “treated all notifications equally seriously, regardless of whether they come from patients, clinicians or managers”.
“Every Australian health practitioner has an obligation to notify AHPRA if they believe another practitioner is placing the public at risk by departing from accepted professional standards,” said the regulator.
“So do employers. That’s a mandatory reporting requirement under the National Law.”
AHPRA CEO Justin Untersteiner said:
“Practitioners have a duty to speak up if they believe the public is at risk.
“It’s important that they know they can do so without fear of reprisal. While reprisals are thankfully uncommon, we will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who threatens notifiers or witnesses acting in good faith,” he said.
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“AHPRA’s number one priority is to prevent harm and achieving that requires access to all available evidence and information.
“We expect the support and cooperation of everyone involved in matters relating to public safety.”
Since December 2025, people who alert regulators to concerns about health practitioners have had greater protection under changes to the National Law.
The changes guard against any attempted reprisals, and make it an offence to threaten, intimidate, dismiss, refuse to employ or otherwise discriminate against someone involved in a complaint to AHPRA and the National Boards.
The maximum penalty is $60,000 for an individual or $120,000 for a body corporate. Disciplinary action can also be taken against practitioners.
In addition, people are able to lodge a complaint despite any clause in a non-disclosure agreement they may have entered into with a practitioner to resolve issues.
It is now an offence to enter into an agreement that does not set that out in writing, AHPRA said.
