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Unmasked: Sydney doctor barred after he kissed and touched teenage patient before blaming wife for texts when he got caught
A medical tribunal has rejected Sydney GP Hazem Chahoud’s bid to return to practice, keeping him barred for at least another year. The decision follows findings that he sexually touched and kissed a 17-year-old patient during a consultation in 2018, and later tried to conceal his conduct.
The patient was being treated for bulimia and had been given Chahoud’s personal contact details and home address. The tribunal found he continued touching her after she asked him to stop, then sent her multiple texts; he initially claimed his wife had sent them, but phone records linked them to his practice. His registration was cancelled in 2022, and the latest panel called him an “unreliable historian” and ordered him to pay the Commission’s costs.
In short
- Sydney GP’s bid to return to medicine was rejected.
- He remains barred for at least another year.
- The case involved a 17-year-old patient and false claims about texts.
Explained simply
Medical practitioners in Australia must be registered to work, and state tribunals can suspend or cancel a doctor’s registration after misconduct findings. A doctor whose registration has been cancelled may later ask a tribunal to let them practise again.
The Medical Council of New South Wales regulates doctors in the state, while the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal hears certain disputes and reviews decisions. Their decisions can affect whether a doctor may treat patients and what safeguards are required.
Doctors are expected to keep professional boundaries with patients, especially young people receiving care for sensitive health issues. Giving a patient personal contact details or continuing contact outside treatment can raise concerns about safety and professional conduct.