A Melbourne doctor who had sexual relationships with three patients he met at his clinic and then lied about it to authorities has been suspended for four years.
Eltham GP Benjamin Gowrie was suspended by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal this month after the Medical Board of Australia raised allegations against him.
Those allegations concerned sexual relationships Dr Gowrie had with three patients between 2013 and 2021.
During two of those relationships, Dr Gowrie continued to treat the women and wrote them prescriptions but did not keep a clinical record.
After his conduct came to the attention of the board in early 2021, its sexual boundaries notification committee suspended his registration from June that year.
When interviewed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, Dr Gowrie made false and misleading statements to the investigators.
He also coached the women on what to say when questioned about their relationships, including telling the regulator they were just friends or had met at a pub instead of his clinic.
Some months later, Dr Gowrie gave an honest statement and made many admissions on his conduct.
He later reflected on his actions, saying he allowed his "sadness, loneliness and desire to feel connected and find love override my clinical judgment in these three cases of boundary transgression".
"I wish to make amends with the (board) and the public and show them that I can be a great doctor who abides by ethical and moral standards," Dr Gowrie wrote in a submission to the tribunal.
The tribunal cancelled his registration and disqualified him from re-applying for four years.
Tribunal presiding member Anna Dea said in written findings that with the three years he had already been suspended, the effect of their decision was he would have been unable to practise for seven years.
Ms Dae said the tribunal wasn't satisfied Dr Gowrie fully grappled with his responsibilities as a medical practitioner, which included the longstanding ban on having sexual relationships with patients.
"While Gowrie accepted he had acted inappropriately and dishonestly in respect of his management and prescribing for two of the patients, he seemed to seek to shift some responsibility for that and the overall inappropriate relationships on the women," she said.
Dr Gowrie cannot apply for registration as a medical practitioner until July 2028.
