A Bendigo doctor who punched a patient in the face has been reprimanded by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
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Dr Simon David Thompson engaged in professional misconduct when he assaulted the victim in his Ironbark waiting room, the tribunal has found.
It heard the victim had gone to Dr Thompson's medical clinic on October 1, 2020 about 3.50pm seeking a medical appointment.
The doctor walked into the waiting room to speak to another patient and noticed the victim sitting on a seat.
He walked up to the victim, yelled and punched them with a closed fist, the tribunal heard.
The doctor had accused the victim and their "crew" of breaking into the surgery and stealing $40,000, the victim told police in an interview following the assault.
Burglary accusation made
"We viewed video of the police interview," tribunal members Ian Proctor, Peter McNeill and Angela Williams said.
"It is striking in that Dr Thompson is calm, quietly spoken, businesslike and neutral as he answers questions from the police."
He told officers he had not reported the burglary due to what he had seen as a lack of police action regarding another recent burglary, Dr Thompson later told police.
The victim denied the burglary accusations when Dr Thompson fronted a magistrate's court in May 2021 and pleaded guilty to the assault.
The victim later told the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency they had struggled for four months to find another general practitioner and get medications in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tribunal members were "surprised" to hear that Dr Thompson had been the subject of 17 previous notifications to that regulator.
His practice has since closed following the waiting room assault.
'No excuse' for waiting room conduct
The Medical Board of Australia suspended Dr Thompson in January 2021 and referred the matter to the tribunal, saying it was conduct contrary to Australia's doctor code of conduct.
Dr Thompson did not take part in the tribunal proceedings despite "ample notice and opportunity", its members said.
The tribunal reprimanded Dr Thompson, cancelled his registration as a health practitioner and disqualified him from registering for 12 months.
"[There] can be no excuse for such conduct," it ruled.
"Dr Thompson could have reported the burglary to Victoria Police. There was no justification whatsoever for taking the law into his own hands."
Dr Thompson was contacted for comment.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
