Updated February 24, 2026 — 11:15am,first published February 24, 2026 — 9:22am
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Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says accusations a gynaecologist performed unnecessary surgery on women over a number of years have been referred to police and the state’s healthcare watchdog.
Safer Care Victoria will now sit on the review panel into the Epworth hospital’s governance over the allegations against Dr Simon Gordon, the state government said on Tuesday.
Isabelle Metaxotos (right) with Dr Simon Gordon in hospital in 2025 after he surgically removed her left ovary and fallopian tube.
This masthead this month revealed Gordon was under investigation by the national medical regulator over allegations he performed unnecessary endometriosis surgeries on women, including removing their ovaries and uterus, despite no clinical evidence justifying the procedures.
Gordon, who retired from the Epworth late last year and surrendered his medical registration last month, denies the allegations.
The Epworth has launched an independent inquiry into the allegations and law firms are considering a class action after being approached by more than 120 women.
Allan and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas on Tuesday said they had asked Safer Care Victoria to sit on the review panel that would look into the Epworth’s governance “to ensure it is rigorous, transparent and focused on patient safety at the Epworth”.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, pictured in May last year.Penny Stephens
Allan, who has been diagnosed with endometriosis and struggled to access treatment, described the allegations of unnecessary surgeries as heartbreaking.
“To have their lives ruined by these procedures is just simply devastating,” she said.
“Women deserve answers. These victims deserve justice.
“My reaction was the reaction, I am sure, of women right across Victoria, particularly those women who, like me, have had their own experiences and challenges in both getting treated for endometriosis and needing to go through surgical procedures like laparoscopy.
“Every woman deserves to feel confident about accessing her healthcare. The allegations against this surgeon shatter that confidence. These victims, they deserve justice.”
Allan said she was determined to restore public confidence “in a system women rely on”.
“There are too many men who think they can dismiss a woman’s pain,” she said.
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“It is apparent there are some systemic issues in the private health system. The reporting regimes need to be strengthened.”
Thomas said she would convene a round-table of medical colleges to discuss ending what she described as a “culture of senior and powerful doctors, protecting other senior and powerful doctors”.
“It’s time for the colleges, who set the culture, to take real action,” the health minister said.
The Epworth has launched an independent inquiry into the allegations and law firms are considering a class action after being approached by more than 120 women.
Allan confirmed the government had referred the allegations against Gordon to Victoria Police on Tuesday morning.
“Performing unnecessary surgeries is a crime,” the premier said.
“That is why it needs to be investigated by Victoria Police. Removing a woman’s organs without an identified clinical need is a crime.”
Allan asked any women who had concerns about treatment by Gordon to report it to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Thomas said: “What is clear to me through this investigation is that AHPRA have been too slow to act, and that they have not taken the complaints of women seriously.”
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This masthead revealed that AHPRA had been investigating Gordon for months before senior management at Epworth hospital, where he worked, became aware of the investigation.
Thomas called for changes to strict confidentiality laws to allow AHPRA to notify hospital management when an investigation was launched.
“It makes no sense whatsoever. An employer needs to know if one of their senior doctors is being investigated by AHPRA,” she said.
Allan also announced there would be standardised guidelines for how endometriosis is diagnosed. Safer Care Victoria will develop these.
She said invasive laparoscopic surgery was often the first tool used to diagnose endometriosis, when a less invasive ultrasound was often a better alternative.
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“That less invasive approach of performing an ultrasound on a woman should be that first step for diagnosing endometriosis,” she said.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists already offers clinical practice guidelines for treating endometriosis. Thomas said the additional guidelines were “about reinforcing the standards of clinical practice we expect to see delivered by clinicians here in Victoria”.
Additional training will be provided to doctors to help them recognise and treat endometriosis.
“We must continue to lift the understanding of this illness,” the premier said. She said she was considering a certification – “a pink tick” – for clinicians who were trained in diagnosing and treating endometriosis.
“We are going to need to do more work on supporting women have their pain believed, heard and treated,” Allan said.
She said suggestions the case might point to a broader issue of over-treating women for endometriosis “don’t really go to the issue here”.
“The issue here is women’s pain is real. Women’s pain needs to be understood and treated appropriately,” she said.
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Liam Mannix is The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald’s national science reporter.Connect via X or email.
Henrietta Cook is a senior reporter covering health for The Age. Henrietta joined The Age in 2012 and has previously covered state politics, education and consumer affairs.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners