A doctor has been struck off permanently after she was found guilty of allegedly entering into a secret sexual relationship with a vulnerable patient who had mental health issues.
Dr Maria Bastas, a long-serving GP, was found to have repeatedly crossed professional boundaries between 2015 and 2022, according to a ruling by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal following a complaint brought by the Health Care Complaints Commission.
The tribunal heard the relationship began after the pair exchanged phone numbers during a consultation, before quickly escalating into private meetings outside the clinic.
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Need To Know reports that evidence accepted by the panel included claims the pair met in a café, in cars, and even inside the doctor’s consulting room after hours.
The patient told the tribunal the relationship became “intense”, with regular meetings and frequent messages, and said he became emotionally dependent on the GP.
Dr Bastas denied the relationship was sexual but admitted it became “inappropriately close”.
However, the tribunal preferred the patient’s account, citing phone records, witness evidence and the pattern of contact over several years.
The tribunal also heard the GP loaned the patient money, met him outside work on multiple occasions, and exchanged gifts including food and personal items.
It found these actions, alongside the alleged relationship, showed a clear breakdown in professional boundaries.
“There is no place for sex in the doctor-patient relationship,” the panel said.
Separately, Dr Bastas was criticised for “inadequate” medical records and poor documentation of prescribing decisions, which the tribunal said fell below acceptable standards.
In several cases, notes were so limited they would not allow another doctor to safely continue treatment.
Dr Bastas was found guilty of both unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct and she had her registration cancelled, with a non-review period of two years.
The doctor was trialled in Sydney, Australia.
The tribunal said protecting the public remained the “paramount consideration” in its decision-making.
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