Complainant

Mental health: Know when to refer

Mental health is a growing area of concern in public health, with over 2.2 million Australians reporting being diagnosed with a mental illness in 2022. With limited access to mental health services, out of pockets costs, and long waiting lists for specialists, it can...

Social media: the ins and outs of maintaining a social presence

Social media allows us to connect with a wide audience, promote health messaging, combat myths, and contribute to public discourse. On a personal level, we can use it to build a support network and stay in touch with friends and colleagues all over the country and the...

Key messages from our Annual Report 2018/19

In the 2018/19 financial year, the Medical Council received 2,518 complaints about 2,051 doctors – just under 7% of registered medical practitioners in NSW. Complaints cover a variety of issues and can be made by not only the patient involved, but also by their family...

Continuity of care and accessing your medical records: what you can do

Sometimes doctors can no longer care for their patients because they retire, move away, change careers, or sell their practice. In a small number of cases, the Medical Council may suspend a doctor or place restrictions on their medical registration in order to protect...

Own your healthcare

This section contains relevant information for healthcare consumers.
Health consumers
This information is for health consumers

Clinical images – don’t let diagnostic snaps be your downfall

Asking for advice on a diagnostic photo is as simple as snap, click, send. But what is the purpose of taking the photo? Did you seek the patient’s permission? How can you maintain confidentiality once you hit send? Doctors are now able to connect and collaborate with...

Stay between 2 and 8 to (safely) vaccinate

While there has been a high demand for flu and measles vaccines of late, these vaccines and others are only effective if they are stored correctly. Flu season reminds us that vaccination storage is an important issue in general practice. Vaccines are delicate...

Friend request or patient at best?

Privacy, confidentiality and trust are at the core of every doctor/patient relationship. With social media providing potential for others to connect and engage with us, how can doctors ensure they maintain professional boundaries with patients when online? At the same...

An interview with Council President Associate Professor Richard Walsh

With a long and successful career in medicine, Associate Professor Richard Walsh comes to the Medical Council of NSW with a distinguished record. We spoke with Dr Walsh about his career and his vision for the Council as its President. Medical Council of NSW (MCNSW):...

Pages