Dear Dr Tonkin, 

We write to you as deeply concerned health care professionals registered with Ahpra. In light of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, there has been an international outcry against the brutality of Israeli forces, including but not exclusive to the desecration of human life and health care.

As you are aware, doctors are asked to “consecrate [their lives] to the service of humanity”, as described in the World Medical Association Declaration of Geneva (revised 2017). In response to their dedication and advocacy, doctors honouring this oath have been unprofessionally and unduly threatened, slandered, censored and reported.

These incidents, which appear to be in breach of the Ahpra Good Medical Practice: Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia, and Australian Medical Association Code of Ethics, are discussed in more detail here.

Our concerns are as outlined below:

1. We are concerned that a majority of complaints made to Ahpra are vexatious. The basis of most of these complaints appears not to stem from genuine concerns about patient safety, but rather to do harm to other health practitioners (Code of Conduct 10.4). 
2. We fear that such complaints stem from racist and/or Islamophobic beliefs some of our colleagues hold. An overwhelming majority of targeted professionals are visibly Muslim and/or Arab women. 
3. Vexatious reports of this nature inhibit the ability of health practitioners to fulfil their obligations to conduct health advocacy (Code of Conduct 7.3) in an equitable and non-discriminatory fashion. If this occurs, gross social and health inequity cannot be properly addressed. 
4. Professionals who wish to discuss the Palestinian cause and the history of oppression, or support non-partisan humanitarian efforts, are unable to do so without fear of being labeled ‘antisemitic’. 
5. Deceit has been a key factor at play. Harmful allegations have been made by colleagues infiltrating private support groups and other events, taking screenshots and acquiring confidential information.
6. The misuse of Ahpra will lead to protracted processing of legitimate complaints, potentially putting patients and the general public in harm’s way. 

In summary: our healthcare professionals feel deeply distressed, threatened and unsafe. 

In this petition, we request that you:

1. Be mindful of the existence of such vexatious complaints and the context in which they arise.
2. Condemn and investigate the abuse of process with regards to vexatious complaints.
3. Publicly acknowledge this issue, and communicate to all healthcare professionals that racist, Islamophobic, and anti-Semitic comments in the workplace or on social media will not be tolerated.
4. Promptly dismiss vexatious complaints and enforce disciplinary action for those who have made vexatious complaints in line with Ahpra code 10.4.2.
5. If investigations are required, address these promptly and in a culturally sensitive manner to avoid unnecessary stress and loss of income or employment opportunities. 
6. Work with ASMOF and public workplaces to ensure that there is appropriate and culturally safe support during this time for anyone being unfairly investigated.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Jenin Nabulsi* 

On behalf of Australian Islamic Medical Association (AIMA) and Australian and New Zealand Doctors for Palestine (ANZDFP).

*This is a pseudonym. In the absence of reassurance from our regulatory bodies that advocacy will be protected and vexatious complaints dismissed, the author will protect their identity.