- The plastic and reconstruction surgeon faced charges relating to negligence.
- The HPCSA Professional Conduct Committee found that aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating factors.
- The hearing involved 14 witnesses who testified against the doctor.
A registered plastic and reconstruction surgeon has been removed from the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) register after he was found guilty of unprofessional conduct.
Dr Luke Gordon was charged before the HPCSA’s Professional Conduct Committee on numerous charges which related to negligent performance of cosmetic procedures to 14 patients.
The HPCSA removed the doctor off the register in terms of Section 42 (1) (c) of the Health Professions Act on Saturday.
In a statement on Tuesday, Priscilla Sekhonyana, HPCSA’s Corporate Affairs Acting Head of Division said the the hearing involved 14 “factual” witnesses and six expert witnesses who testified against Gordon.
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Sekhonyana said:
“The HPCSA filed 50 pages of the heads of argument in respect of its principal submissions, excluding several heads of argument that were filed for various interlocutory applications in casu.”
Gordon, who was the respondent in the matter, was found guilty of unprofessional conduct on nine counts and not guilty in respect of five of them.
“The committee delivered the penalty against the respondent and found that aggravating circumstances far outweigh the mitigating factors.
“Healthcare practitioners who are regulated by council are guided by the ethical guidelines that indicate how practitioners should conduct themselves when handling patients.”