Victorian anti-vax GP banned after 'abhorrent' social media posts

Melbourne GP Michael Ellis made dozens of Facebook posts between 2017 and 2020 attacking "gaydom", "moslems", "big pharma", vaccines, and his own colleagues.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) struck Mr Ellis off the medical register at a hearing on February 6, saying he had brought the medical profession into disrepute and wasn't a "fit and proper person to hold registration".

The tribunal barred Mr Ellis from reapplying for registration for at least a year and banned him from offering any health services or calling himself a doctor until he was successfully re-registered.

Mr Ellis first had his registration suspended by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) in May 2020 after a complaint in 2019 triggered an investigation of his social media accounts.

But in December 2021 the Medical Board of Australia asked VCAT to adjudicate on the results of a more thorough investigation.

Mr Ellis had posted prolifically on several Facebook pages and groups: Wellness Revolution, the New Paradigm Peace Culture Movement, The Club of Budapest Australia - Peace Culture Movement, and the Global Peace Centre - as well as one under his own name.

One post, quoted by the VCAT, attacked hospitals and the medical profession:

"HOSPITALS ARE DEATH CHAMBERS[.] THEY TREAT PATIENTS AS DISEASES AND ANIMALS ON A CONVEYOR BELT[.] IF LUCKY YOU WILL SURVIVE[.] OTHERWISE YOU ARE COLLATERAL DAMAGE AND LUCKY IF YOU GO OUT UNSCATHED!!!!! ..."

Others attacked gender neutral toys being used in childcare centres, such as this one:

"THIS MEANS YOU WILL NOT -NOT (sic) DISTINGUISH BETWEEN BOYS AND GFIRLS BECAUSE GAYDOM COMES FIRST AT THE EXPENSE OF NORMAL FAMILY VALUES[.] THIS IS AN ATROCITY AGAINST THE HETEROSEXUAL COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA ..."

Another commented on an article about a Saudi woman fleeing her family in fear for her life.

"This is what moslems (sic) do to moslems (sic)[.] Should they be allowed to immigrate en masse to Australia?" the post read.

Mr Ellis also recommended vitamin C as a cure for COVID-19 and said the "actual purpose" of vaccines was "re-engineering humans" by doctors "brainwashed by Big Pharma".

The tribunal said the views expressed against minority communities in Mr Ellis' posts were "quite abhorrent".

"It is easy to see that a gay patient who saw his posts would feel concerned that they could not reveal their sexuality to him, potentially comprising their health and safety," the three-member panel said.

"Similarly, it can be inferred that patients of Islamic faith or Chinese heritage would be reticent in seeing a doctor who willingly expresses negative comments about their communities."

Mr Ellis describes himself on several websites as a "medical doctor, futurist, and peace worker" who has founded organisations and conducted seminars dedicated to world peace.

Despite his post railing against "gaydom" Mr Ellis told an earlier tribunal hearing: "I'm not against gays. I like gays. I'm friends with gays. I treat patients who are gays".

The tribunal said those comments had given it "no real sense of Mr Ellis's level of insight, remorse and rehabilitation" and noted there was no guarantee the registration board would reinstate Mr Ellis as a doctor.

In submissions to the tribunal, he agreed to his disqualification as a doctor, but argued that he should still be allowed to offer other health services while unregistered.

The tribunal said it would be safer to ban Mr Ellis completely.

"Mr Ellis previously specialised in 'Balint Psychology', which he has described as 'being based on the psychological dynamic between the doctor, the patient and the illness'," the tribunal said.

"As we are not completely certain as to what health services Mr Ellis intends to provide, or when, we consider that it is appropriate that the prohibition apply to all health services.