OPEN LETTER: Dr Simon Gordon's patients still waiting for answers

Victims of prominent gynaecologist and alleged serial abuser Simon Gordon are being forced to become investigators, medical-records experts, legal researchers and advocates simply to understand what may have happened to their own bodies, writes former patient, *Caroline.

DEAR Premier Allan, Minister Shing, Minister Williams, Minister Carbines, Minister Butler, Mr Untersteiner, Ms McKinlay, Professor Stripp, Safer Care Victoria and Victoria Police,

On 23 February 2026, Four Corners broadcast Scarred, reporting serious allegations concerning former gynaecologist Dr Simon Gordon, including allegations that some patients underwent invasive and life-altering surgery despite pathology reportedly showing little or no evidence of endometriosis.

Dr Gordon has denied the allegations and has stated that he acted ethically and responsibly and performed surgery only when he believed it was in his patients’ best interests. I am not aware of any final criminal, regulatory or civil findings having been publicly announced.

These qualifications are important, but they do not lessen the urgent public-interest questions that remain unanswered.

I am a former patient of Dr Gordon.

I registered for the publicly announced medical-review pathway as soon as it became available. I have still not been given an appointment.

The Victorian Government has stated that the five dedicated clinics established for former patients will operate until September 2026. There are now fewer than three months remaining.

How can a program intended to assist a potentially very large number of former patients approach the end of its announced funding period when patients who registered at the beginning have not yet been assessed?

Former patients need more than assurances. We need timely independent review, continuity of care, transparency and accountability. I am seeking immediate, on-record answers to the following questions:

1. The Epworth review

Epworth announced that its review would examine clinical governance, credentialing, oversight of clinical practice and the handling of complaints.

I have not been able to locate the full publicly available terms of reference, a detailed methodology, a completion date or a reporting timetable. Please provide these documents or confirm where they can be accessed.

Please also advise the following:

Will the review examine Dr Gordon’s individual clinical decisions and historical patient records, or is it confined to reviewing Epworth’s current systems and processes?
When will the review be completed?
Will the full findings and recommendations be published, rather than only a summary?
How many former patients have been interviewed or invited to provide evidence?
Has an independent retrospective clinical audit of any former patients’ treatment been commissioned or undertaken? If not, why not?

2. The AHPRA investigation

AHPRA publicly confirmed in February that its investigation was continuing and that it was commissioning independent medical experts.

What stage has that investigation now reached?
What is the expected timeframe for its completion?
How many previous complaints are being reconsidered?
How will patients whose complaints were previously dismissed or closed be informed about whether their matters have been reopened or reviewed?
What review is occurring into AHPRA’s handling of earlier complaints, including whether there were opportunities to identify any broader pattern of concern sooner and what changes may now be required?

Patients understand that AHPRA cannot disclose confidential evidence. That does not prevent it from providing meaningful information about its process, anticipated timeframes and how affected patients will be kept informed.

3. Medical reviews and ongoing care

Please publish the number of former patients who have:

registered for assistance;
been referred to one of the five clinics;
received an initial nursing assessment;
received an appointment with a gynaecologist; and
remained on a waiting list.

Please also advise the following:

What is the maximum expected waiting time?
Will every patient who registers before September be guaranteed an assessment, even if that appointment occurs after the current funding period?
What services and funding will continue after September 2026?

Given the relatively small and interconnected nature of the specialist field, former patients are concerned about whether they can obtain a genuinely independent clinical opinion. Former patients should have access to appropriately qualified specialists who are independent of Dr Gordon’s former practice, with any relevant prior professional relationships transparently disclosed and appropriately managed.

4. Independence and management of potential conflicts

What processes are in place across the five participating health services to identify, disclose and appropriately manage any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest involving clinicians, administrators or other personnel connected with the referral and review process?

Are patients expressly advised that they may raise concerns about independence and request referral to another health service without delay or disadvantage?

Former patients need confidence that the clinical opinions they receive are independent and that any relevant prior professional relationships are transparently disclosed and appropriately managed. Trust cannot simply be demanded from women who believe the health system may already have failed them. It must be earned through independence, transparency and action.

5. Victoria Police

On 24 February 2026, Victoria Police confirmed that it had received a government referral and was assessing the information. More than four months later, I have been unable to locate any further substantive public statement directly from Victoria Police.

Has the matter progressed beyond its initial assessment?
Is there now a formal investigation?
Is there a central contact point through which former patients can provide relevant medical records, statements or other evidence?
How will patients know whether they should report their individual experiences directly to police?

I recognise that Victoria Police cannot disclose operational details. However, a matter potentially affecting 13,000 former patients warrants basic public information about the process and how affected women can engage with it.

6. Access to independent legal information

What independent information and referral support is available to former patients who need advice about obtaining and preserving their medical records, applicable legal time limits, potential compensation pathways and their other legal rights?

Patients should not be expected to navigate complex medical, regulatory and legal processes without clear and accessible guidance.

7. Contacting and protecting former patients

Public reporting has suggested that the number of former patients may be very substantial.

How many former patients do Epworth and the relevant authorities estimate may need to be contacted or offered support?
What coordinated effort is being made to identify and contact potentially affected patients, rather than relying upon women to see a news report, recognise themselves in it and navigate a confusing system alone?
Who has overall responsibility for coordinating Epworth, AHPRA, Victoria Police, Safer Care Victoria, the Department of Health and the clinical-review services?

At present, patients are being forced to become investigators, medical-records experts, legal researchers and advocates simply to understand what may have happened to their own bodies.

That is unacceptable.

More than four months after Scarred, announcements are no longer enough.

Former patients need dates, numbers, independent care, clear lines of responsibility and measurable action.

Please acknowledge this email today and provide a substantive, on-record response within 48 hours.

A copy of this correspondence is also being provided to selected media outlets because these questions are matters of significant public interest.

I am available to speak on or off the record and can provide documentation confirming my treatment, my registration for a medical review and my subsequent efforts to obtain care.

Sincerely,

*Caroline

* The writer's name has been changed