The Health Ombudsman took immediate registration action by imposing conditions on the registration of Faith Elizabeth McDonald, psychologist, effective 5 November 2020.

The Health Ombudsman then varied the conditions on 26 February 2021, 18 November 2021 and 8 February 2024.

Details of Faith Elizabeth McDonald’s registration, including the full list of imposed conditions, can be viewed on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website.

Scope of practice conditions

Conditions imposed on Faith Elizabeth McDonald’s registration include the requirements the practitioner must:

• maintain a patient log, completed by the practitioner following every consultation with a patient, that must contain the following details, and be submitted to the Office of the Health Ombudsman within five (5) business days of the end of every calendar month: (a) patient’s and associated party’s full name and contact number; (b) date of consultation; (c) start and finish time of consultation; and (d) location of the consultation.
• only communicate with patients or an associated party outside of consultations where necessary.
• continue to employ a staff member or contractor to handle patient bookings and administration enquiries and authorise the exchange of information between the Office of the Health Ombudsman and the staff member or contractor, to confirm compliance with this condition.
• unless otherwise directed by the Health Ombudsman, undertake professional supervision when practising, no less than every two months with another registered psychologist (the supervisor) approved by the Health Ombudsman.
• For the purposes of this condition, ‘professional supervision’ is defined as: Discussions between the practitioner and a Psychology Board of Australia approved supervisor, who provides guidance to the practitioner regarding issues impacting on the practitioner’s professional performance/conduct to ensure the efficacy of the therapist/patient relationship and/or those intrinsically involved in the therapeutic relationship. The discussions must include the following: (a) professional practice issues; (b) ethical issues (including professional boundaries); and (c) anything else relevant to the practitioner’s practice.

In accordance with section 62(2) of the Health Ombudsman Act 2013 (the Act), the Health Ombudsman's decision to take immediate registration action will continue to have effect until the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal sets the decision aside or the Health Ombudsman removes the conditions imposed on Faith Elizabeth McDonald’s registration under section 65 of the Act.