Australia’s medical regulator has placed conditions on the practice of the controversial high-profile neurosurgeon Greg Malham following complaints about his treatment of patients after surgery and his behaviour towards colleagues. 

The complaints arose from a Four Corners investigation, aired in July, which featured numerous former patients and colleagues of Dr Malham. 

They raised questions about Dr Malham’s post-operative care of patients who had suffered complications including paraplegia and extreme pain, as well as his treatment of other staff — particularly allegations of sexist behaviour towards female nurses at the hospital.

The front of a building that reads "Warringal Medical Centre" in the late afternoon.

Greg Malham had been working at Warringal Private Hospital until July. (Four Corners)

Dr Malham, who had been one of the busiest surgeons at Melbourne’s largest private hospital, Epworth, will now be required to undertake 12 fortnightly mentoring sessions on issues including effective communication with patients in distress or who are experiencing postoperative pain.

He will also have to do sessions on patient-centred communication in neurosurgical practice and about promoting and engaging in respectful relationships with colleagues.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) implemented the conditions on Dr Malham’s registration on December 10, after Four Corners alerted Epworth’s chief executive, Andrew Stripp, to a patient complaint he had earlier received.

The complaint was then forwarded to AHPRA. 

Dr Malham first came to public attention in April when a video emerged showing him smashing Kooyong independent Monique Ryan’s election sign into a rubbish skip and saying “always gotta bury the body”. 

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Epworth cancelled Dr Malham’s credentialing to operate at the hospital following the corflute scandal, but he continued to practise at another Melbourne hospital, Warringal Private, prompting Four Corners to investigate him.

The investigation revealed there had been multiple complaints by patients and staff about his behaviour — including concerning his romantic relationship with a young theatre recovery nurse that ended in her suicide.

Patient ‘pleaded for help’

The day after the Four Corners broadcast, Greg Malham’s credentialing to practise at Warringal Private was also cancelled, and the program was inundated with further correspondence from hospital staff and patients.

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One of those patients was Melbourne woman Emma Pursey, who wrote to Professor Stripp to complain about what she described as Dr Malham’s dismissive attitude to her extreme post-operative pain, which left her unable to sleep for the entire duration of her rehabilitation stay.

She told Professor Stripp she had “pleaded for help” from Dr Malham for weeks afterwards, and had broken down on the phone in tears because she had received no help from him for her pain.

“Despite repeatedly reporting my symptoms and spiralling into sleep-deprived distress, I was discharged without appropriate pain management,” Ms Pursey. 

In a six-week follow-up appointment, she said her questions were disregarded and she was “made to feel humiliated and irrelevant in the conversation about my own body”.

“His behaviour toward me … was not only dismissive but dehumanising,” Ms Pursey said. 

Professor Stripp referred Emma Pursey’s complaint to AHPRA and Ms Pursey was informed in writing this week that there had been conditions placed upon Dr Malham’s registration.

In response to AHPRA’s decision, Ms Pursey said: “I entered into a notification process because what I experienced mattered, and because patient distress and pain should always be taken seriously.”

A professional portrait of a woman, she is looking at the camera with a serious expression.

Emma Pursey was a former patient of Greg Malham. (Supplied)

“With the outcome now on the public record, my hope is that the conditions in place help protect patient and staff safety, as well as uphold the dignity and humanity of anyone who engages with this practitioner going forward.

“It’s also important to note that cases like this contribute to broader, ongoing conversations about medical misogyny and how women are treated within the healthcare system.”

Theatre recovery nurse Katie was one of several female staff at Epworth who told Four Corners that Dr Malham’s behaviour with female nurses at the hospital had made them feel very uncomfortable.

She said that when she worked in Dr Malham’s theatre, he would “really let loose in terms of his inappropriate behaviour”.

“Comments about women, about their tits ― just really crass, vulgar comments,” Katie said.

Four Corners contacted Dr Malham for comment but did not hear back.Â