Murupara doctor back at practice

Dr Bernard Conlon, pictured at a rally for him in Murupara on November 13, 2021. Photo: Tony Wall/Stuff.

Murupara GP Dr Bernard Conlon is practising again after a being suspended by the Medical Council of New Zealand for the past four months.

Dr Conlon has been offering GP services to the remote Murupara, Minginui and Ruatahuna communities for more than 30 years, including the sort of 24/7 on-call service that most New Zealanders would associate with days gone by.

He was suspended from practicing medicine in early February while the council investigated his conduct.

The Medical Council has now renewed his license to practise and the public register shows that he is able to practise without restrictions from May 20 until August 31 of this year.

Neither Dr Conlon nor the Medical Council has been forthcoming to the Beacon as to how this arrangement has come about.

In a communication through the Murupara Community Board's newsletter, Dr Conlon says he has been able to achieve 'a negotiated settlement” with the council.

'The community unfortunately has suffered a marked reduction in service delivery over the past six months. We look forward to addressing the backlog of issues over the next few months,” the newsletter states.

Whakatāne district councillor for the Murupara ward Alison Silcock says the Murupara community is overjoyed at Dr Conlon's return.

'We really were jumping for joy, and that would have been just about everyone, even those who weren't totally happy with his options. We are very pleased that he is able to practice again.”

The investigation came about after complaints were made to the council about questions he asked in public around informed consent for children and pregnant women to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

He has also been accused of promoting anti-vaccination views on the Murupara Medical Centre's Facebook page, referring to the Pfizer vaccine as a 'gene therapy injection”.

A junior doctor he was supervising wrote to Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins describing Dr Conlon celebrating the fact that Murupara had the lowest immunisation rates in the country.

At the time he was suspended, he had been restricted to carrying out consultations via Telehealth due to not being immunised against Covid-19.

Because of his recent recovery from Covid-19, he has received a three-month exemption from the Covid-19 order and is able to practise.

His wife, Dr Britta Noske, who was also restricted to seeing patients through Telehealth, is reportedly also able to see patients in person.

As of May 30, service at the Murupara Medical Centre has reopened five days a week along with full on-call services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Ruatahuna and Minginui will receive monthly Saturday visits from Dr Conlon, in addition to their weekly telehealth service.

In a written statement, Medical Council chairman Dr Curtis Walker says the council stepped in as early as possible when a notification is made, or information comes to light, to put in place any necessary arrangements if it considers that the doctor poses a risk of harm to the public, or if an interim measure is appropriate pending an investigation.

'All investigations are carried out by a Professional Conduct Committee and this is a separate independent body to the Medical Council. It is the committee, which determines whether or not charges will be laid with the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. The tribunal hears and determines disciplinary proceedings brought against health practitioners, including deciding what sanctions should be put in place. There are a number of statutory processes and complexities which can affect the length of time when matters can become public.

'We can confirm that a Professional Conduct Committee is undertaking an investigation into Dr Conlon's conduct. We are unable to release further information on matters until all investigation and decision-making processes have concluded.”

Dr Conlon is also currently awaiting a ruling from case he filed in the Rotorua District Court over Medsafe's seizure of a shipment of ivermectin he had ordered from overseas.

Pem Bird. Photo: Stuff.

Murupara Māori immersion school Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tawhiuau principal Pem Bird has been one of most vocal supporters of Dr Conlon who he describes as 'a trusted, loyal friend”.

'He would be hard to beat in his service to our area. He has given us 30 years of faithful, dedicated service. We regard him as one of us.

'We have great respect for his capability as a doctor, for his longstanding devotion to meeting our needs as part of this community. He attends events at this kura and the marae and is learning whaikorero on the marae, along with waiata and haka.

'He'll come calling on patients after work, in his own time.”

He says his wife has health problems and is just one example of patients that receive this service.

There are others in the community who have experienced the same level of treatment.

He says Dr Conlon's suspension left the community bereft of medical care.

'We had no doctors at one stage there. Just a couple of nurses. The expectation that we would get by without health care, without a doctor … I think there's something gravely amiss with the Medical Council.

'I mean, we were still going to have sick people, we were still going to have gravely ill, terminal people, and depriving us of Dr Conlon and his team, that was a harsh blow, and I would say, over the top. We've come through a very tough time. So, we're grateful for having services restored. Though it's for a finite time.”

-Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air

5 comments

Great to see.

Posted on 15-06-2022 12:44 | By morepork

This is an outstanding man who has been treated very shabbily (and I said so at the time...) It is good to see a re-instatement and to also know that his Community recognize him.


Good

Posted on 15-06-2022 13:26 | By an_alias

He should never have been stood down. Govt has gone too far with mandates, beyond belief.


good to hear

Posted on 15-06-2022 13:31 | By Mein Fuhrer

He should never of been suspended from the outset, a Doctor dedicated to his community, not to the Govt and Big Pharma.


Maybe he is, maybe he's not

Posted on 15-06-2022 16:59 | By R. Bell

outstanding. One thing he has shown is a reckless disregard for the vaccine that saved millions of lives. How quickly some forget. Attempting to import a banned ( for covid ) bovine supplement shows a complete and unforgivable lack of judgement, he fully deserved his suspension. Hopefully he will be more responsible in future.


Should think so

Posted on 15-06-2022 17:05 | By Slim Shady

Great GP. Got trampled under the Government bandwagon, which sadly included the media and many brainwashed Kiwis. From locking out Kiwis desperate to get back, mandates, vaccine passes to sacking people, the whole shebang was a disgrace. Gang mentality at its worst. NZ is obsessed by gangs and it’s not just MM and the like. Ordinary Kiwis couldn’t wait to pile into “rule breakers” or anybody who dared to question the MoH or the Government. There should be an inquiry into the handling and response.


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