With thanks to Justine Anderson for drawing attention to a public statement and decision of the Health Care Complaints Comission (NSW) in relation to a diagnostic ultrasound practice located in Hornsby (Sydney).
The Commission’s statement of 27 May 2021 was as follows:
The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (Commission) conducted an investigation into Ms Li Shen, an unregistered health practitioner and director of Medsound Pty Ltd (Medsound), a diagnostic ultrasound practice located at Suite 15, 14 Edgeworth David Drive, Hornsby NSW 2077.
The Commission’s investigation found that between March 2017 and November 2020, Ms Shen performed ultrasound examinations at Medsound without holding any recognised qualifications or accreditation in sonography. Additionally, while some of the ultrasound examinations at Medsound had been reviewed and reported by a qualified and registered specialist radiologist, the Commission’s investigation found that Ms Shen had authored the majority of the ultrasound reports between March 2017 and November 2020, without being a registered medical practitioner in Australia and without any specialist training in radiology.
The Commission has determined that Ms Shen has breached the Code of Conduct for unregistered health practitioners set out in Schedule 3 of the Public Health Regulation 2012 and poses a significant risk to public health and safety as she has wilfully disregarded the health and wellbeing of her patients for her own financial gain.
Accordingly, the Commission has made a public warning pursuant to section 94A of the Health Care Complaints Act 1993 (Act), and makes the following permanent prohibition order under section 41A of the Act:
Ms Li Shen is permanently prohibited from providing any health services in any capacity, either paid or voluntary.
Ms Shen had advised the Commission that she was qualified to practice as a medical practitioner in China, she admitted that she was not registered as a medical practitioner in Australia, and had not obtained any relevant specialisation in radiology (Decision at [1.8]).