Tasmanian doctor suspended for misconduct with patient

Dr. Soon Hock Chong has had his medical registration suspended following a finding of professional misconduct by the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT). The decision follows a referral from the Medical Board of Australia regarding his conduct with a patient identified as Patient X.

Between 2014 and 2022, Dr. Chong maintained a close personal relationship with the patient while serving as their primary physician. During this period, the patient lived in Dr. Chong’s home for over two years and later in another property owned by the doctor.

The tribunal identified several critical failures in clinical care and professional boundaries. These included inadequate record-keeping and the inappropriate prescribing of psychotropic and dependency-forming medications, such as diazepam, quetiapine, and Lyrica, despite the patient’s history of substance abuse. Additionally, in September 2017, Dr. Chong attempted to detoxify the patient from alcohol, cannabis, and methamphetamine at his private residence. The attempt failed, leading to the patient’s emergency admission to the Royal Hobart Hospital three days later.