Read the inappropriate, foul-mouthed conversation Dr Charlie Teo had with a brain surgery patient’s daughter as he’s found guilty of misconduct: ‘You should be grateful’
- Fee of $35,000 deemed ‘inappropriate’
- Dr Teo swore repeatedly in conversation
Dr Charlie Teo has been found guilty of professional misconduct in a landmark ruling over an ‘inappropriate’ conversation with a patient’s daughter, an exorbitant fee he charged and other complaints about consent.
The controversial brain surgeon appeared before the Medical Professional Standards Committee in February to face complaints that he decided to operate on two patients where the risk of surgery outweighed any potential benefits of the surgery.
It was also alleged that he did not obtain informed consent from the patients before the surgery, charged an inappropriate fee of $35,000 to one patient and spoke inappropriately, with several swear words, to that patient’s daughter post-surgery.
In its decision announced on Wednesday the committee said it ‘found these elements of the complaint proven.
‘The committee found that Professor Teo was guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct’ in 2018 and 2019 while working as a neurosurgeon at Prince of Wales Private Hospital in Sydney.
Dr Charlie Teo (pictured left with his partner Traci Griffiths) has been found guilty of professional misconduct in a landmark ruling
The committee ordered that Dr Teo ‘be reprimanded and imposed conditions on his registration to protect the public’.
These conditions include that Professor Teo must obtain a written statement from a Medical Council-approved neurosurgeon which supports him performing recurrent malignant intracranial tumour and brain stem tumour surgical procedures.
If the written statement does not support Professor Teo performing the procedure he cannot perform the surgery.
The committee found that ‘On or around 23 March 2019, (Dr Teo) used inappropriate language during a telephone conversation with Person E, Patient B’s daughter’.
The surgeon was found to have said ‘You’re asking the wrong f****** question’ and ‘Would I do it all over again? F****** oath I would. You should be grateful.
‘I’ve given the family extra f****** time.’
The committee found Person E to be ‘a credible witness whose evidence was not impeached in cross-examination.
The committee found that ‘On or around 23 March 2019, (Dr Teo) used inappropriate language’ (pictured)
The Medical Professional Standards Committee found that Dr Teo (pictured) spoke inappropriately to a patient’s daughter post-surgery
‘She candidly explained that she had used abusive and derogatory language directed to (Dr Teo) in her telephone conversation.’
It said it was ‘both likely and credible that (Dr Teo) responded in words attributed to him given Person E’s hostile introduction to their conversation’.
The committee found that Dr Teo’s reported words were ‘consistent with his explanation about offering surgery’.
It took into account evidence from another person, Dr Profyris, that Dr Teo ‘does swear from time to time’.
More to follow
