1976
– Gayed graduates as a bachelor of medicine and a bachelor of surgery in Egypt.
1993
– He becomes a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
1994
– Gayed registers in New South Wales as a medical practitioner.
- Gayed commences work at Grafton Hospital.
1996
- Dr Gayed commences work at Cooma Hospital.
1997
– The Health Care Complaints Commission receives a complaint from a patient alleging that she consented to a laparoscopy but Gayed performed a laparotomy instead. She says her bowel, ilium and uterus were perforated by Gayed in a number of places with the cuts ranging from 1cm to 5cm. Gayed is reprimanded and ordered to undergo a performance assessment. Informal counselling is recommended.
1998
– A complaint is made by a patient who says that after Gayed performed her surgery she needed further surgery to stop bleeding from an unknown source.
– The HCCC receives a complaint from Southern Area health service advising that a number of incidents have occurred involving Gayed and he has been suspended. The allegations made are breaches of protocols for infection control and universal precautions, adequacy of patient consents, alteration of a medical record, clinical competence, possible visual impairment and communication issues.
– The HCCC receives a complaint from Cooma health service concerning care provided by Gayed to two patients. One of those patients alleges that after he performed her hysterectomy, she needed further surgery to stop the bleeding from an unknown source. The other patient says she has suffered ongoing problems with her health after she developed bleeding in her stomach requiring a laparoscopy, hysteroscopy and dilation and curettage, all performed by Gayed. The matters are investigated and no further action is taken.
– A patient complains to the HCCC that she has suffered from incontinence since Gayed performed surgery on her in August 1997. Her complaint is referred to the professional standards committee.
- In total, 15 adverse events at Cooma Hospital are reported to Southern Area Health Service between May 1997 and October 1998.
- Three complaints to HCCC arise from Gayed’s treatment at Cooma Hospital, one of which resulted in no further action as a result of no clinical criticism, one discontinued following investigation as a result of no clinical criticism, and one prosecuted before Professional Standards Committee but not until years later, in 2001.
1999
- Gayed resigns from Cooma Hospital.
- He begins working at Manning Hospital and Kempsey District Hospital.
2000
– A complaint is received from a patient alleging that she required further surgery because she developed internal bleeding after surgery performed by Gayed. She alleges that during a third operation Gayed stitched a section of her bowel to one of her ovaries. That complaint is investigated but no further action is taken.
– A patient makes a complaint to the HCCC alleging that intercourse became painful after Gayed performed a vaginal prolapse repair, that further surgery he performed failed to fix the problem, and subsequent surgery performed by another gynaecologist did. This complaint is referred to the professional standards committee.
- Two complaints to HCCC arising from treatment at Cooma Hospital, one of which prosecuted before professional standards committee in 2001 and the other resulted in no further action because of no clinical criticism.
2001
– A professional standards inquiry considers nine complaints about Gayed. He is found to be guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and to be an impaired practitioner, owing to his vision problems. He is allowed to continue practising but conditions are imposed on his registration limiting the types of surgical procedures he can perform.
2002
- Gayed begins working at Mona Vale Hospital, with a good reference from a senior staff member at Manning Rural Referral Hospital. He resigns from Kempsey District Hospital.
2003
– North Sydney Area health service temporarily suspends Gayed’s appointment at Mona Vale because of a “cluster of seemingly adverse patient events”. He is then reinstated with the condition that his appointment be reconsidered if further complaints are made.
2004
– A complaint is made to the HCCC by a patient alleging that when she went into labour at 22 weeks pregnant with twins, Gayed refused to transfer her from the regional hospital to another hospital with facilities to care for very premature babies. She alleges her babies were “left to die when they were born at 23 weeks”. There is an investigation but no further action is taken.
– A performance assessment is conducted. Gayed is ordered not to undertake microsurgery and to be periodically assessed by an ophthalmologist. But his professional performance is found to be “at the standard reasonably expected of a practitioner of an equivalent level of training or experience”. He is ordered to undergo counselling.
2005
– Gayed undergoes counselling.
2006
– The medical tribunal conducts a review of the conditions on Gayed’s registration and removes them, allowing him to perform all obstetric and gynaecological procedures once again.
2007
– The NSW Medical Board receives notice about a number of clinical incidents involving Gayed that led to him resigning from Mona Vale hospital. A further performance assessment is planned.
– The chair of the medical advisory committee at Delmar private hospital notifies the HCCC that Gayed’s clinical privileges have been temporarily suspended because of concerns about the care provided to three patients. The board requests that the practitioner be assessed for impairment. The matter is referred to a performance committee.
– The Medical Board receives a complaint from a patient alleging that Gayed perforated her bowel during a laparoscopy and then failed to recognise the complication.
– Another performance assessment is conducted. Gayed’s professional performance is found to be unsatisfactory in the areas of basic clinical skills, clinical judgment, patient management skills and practical/technical skills.
- Northern Sydney Area Health Service refers to the HCCC four cases that occurred between December 2006 and March 2007 which were dealt with by way of performance assessment by the Medical Board.
- Gayed resigns from Mona Vale Hospital when told he would be suspended.
2008
– A performance review panel hearing considers the assessment and finds Gayed’s professional performance unsatisfactory. He is allowed to continue practising but conditions are imposed, limiting the surgery that he can perform and requiring him to have a mentor.
2009
– A woman identified by the HCCC as patient G complains to the Medical Board about a laparoscopy performed by Gayed for endometriosis. She notes that he was not permitted to perform laparoscopies for moderate to severe endometriosis and queries why he was permitted to perform the surgery when he did not know what degree of endometriosis she had before the surgery. The matter is referred to the Medical Board but no action is taken.
– The Medical Board’s performance committee decides Gayed no longer needs a mentor.
- A complaint is referred from the HCCC to the Medical Board arising from treatment at Manning Hospital – this resulted in no further action.
2010
– A woman complains to the HCCC, saying Gayed failed to give her appropriate information about after-care following surgery and that a large swab was left in her vagina, possibly causing an infection.
2011
– A patient complains to the HCCC alleging that Gayed did not obtain informed consent before removing three-quarters of her cervix. She also required further surgery to remove an incorrectly placed stitch around the urethra. The matter is later referred to the professional standards committee.
– A patient identified by the HCCC as Patient D saw Gayed for a termination but he did not keep records of the examination.
2013
- Gayed undergoes a performance reassessment review and his performance is found to be unsatisfactory in the areas of basic clinical skills, clinical judgment, practical/technical skills and interaction/communication with patients. A performance review panel hearing and regular ophthalmological assessment are recommended.
- A complaint is made to the HCCC by a patient alleging that Gayed used non-dissolvable stitches after her caesarean section but did not tell her of this,so she required surgery a year later to remove the stitches.
- Gayed performs a suction curettage on a woman identified by the HCCC as Patient F to manage her secondary post-partum haemorrhage. The suction curettage is not the recommended treatment for her condition, and he does not examine her first or or consider alternative treatments. He also performs a “LLETZ” procedure and cone biopsy which is not necessary, as she has no evidence of cervical malignancy.
2014
– A second performance review Panel hearing finds Gayed’s professional performance is of the standard reasonably expected. The panel keeps his existing conditions in place.
2015
– The performance committee considers the panel’s report and resolves to vary condition two on Gayed’s registration to clarify the nature of the surgery that he is not permitted to perform.
– The HCCC receives a complaint from a patient alleging that she developed a hernia at the site where Gayed performed a laparotomy, requiring further surgery.
– Another complaint is made by the 2009 patient. She alleges she suffered serious complications after Gayed failed to realise he severed her ureter during surgery performed to treat her endometriosis.
– The HCCC receives a complaint from a patient alleging Gayed provided inappropriate treatment for a retained placenta after the birth of her child.
– A woman identified by the HCCC as Patient C sought a termination from Gayed, who did not keep records of the examination.
- A complaint to the HCCC arising from treatment at Manning Hospital was discontinued because Gayed was already in performance assessment.
2016
– The HCCC receives a complaint from a woman who says Gayed performed a laparotomy on her in breach of his conditions.
– Gayed performs a hysterectomy on patient identified by the HCCC as Patient A to remove a fibroid, even though such treatment was not recommended in light of her complex surgical history and other possible, less invasive treatments. Gayed does not have the patient’s informed consent for the procedure and does not keep records of the diagnosis or treatment.
– He pushes a patient identified by the HCCC as Patient B to have an abortion and pays for it, and does not keep complete records. The patient was diagnosed with a vaginal polyp in July 2015, and Gayed told her it would need to be surgically removed. He said that while he was removing it, he could perform endometrial ablation, which is often performed on patients with endometriosis. She later discovered she was pregnant and realised she would have been pregnant at the time he performed the procedure. Gayed tells her the baby was likely to be seriously harmed and in 2016 pays for her to have an abortion. He does not tell the hospital of his error.
– A woman identified by the HCCC as Patient E sees Gayed at 15 weeks pregnant with severe pain but he does not examine her for 12 hours.
– The Hunter New England local health district suspends Gayed from his duties at the regional hospital owing to concerns about the care he provided to patients A, B, C, D, E and F.
– The cases of patients A, B, C, D, E and F are investigated by the HCCC and Patient G is also included as part of that investigation.
2017
– The HCCC finishes its investigation into patients A,B, C, D, E, F and G and takes the case to the NSW civil and administrative tribunal, seeking disciplinary action.
2018
– Gayed’s case is heard by the NSW civil and administrative tribunal over three days in June. The tribunal does not immediately make its decision in the case public.
– Guardian Australia obtains sensitive documents outlining the basic details of the complaints relating to patients A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Guardian Australia publishes the information.
– Guardian Australia receives confirmation from the HCCC that Gayed has been barred by the tribunal from practising medicine for three years. By the time this order is made, Gayed has already relinquished his licence to practise. He is not present at the hearing.
– Guardian Australia travels to Taree to investigate cases in the town where Gayed last worked and interviews numerous women, including Patient B, about the harms they allegedly suffered owing to treatment by Gayed.
– Guardian Australia reveals that the HCCC is investigating complaints by a further nine patients.
– Guardian Australia travels to Newcastle where health district staff reveal that a woman died of cancer after unnecessary and negligent surgery by Gayed.
– The NSW Department of Health announces an independent inquiry into Gayed and his work for at least four public hospitals after the Guardian Australia investigation. The inquiry is headed by the senior counsel Gail Furness, known for her work for the child sexual abuse royal commission. This inquiry is later expanded to include a fifth hospital, and the state government agrees to extend by a month Furness’s deadline to complete the investigation.
2019
– On 31 January Furness hands the health department her final report after a comprehensive investigation into five health districts, hospital management and the regulators. This report is made public on7 February.
