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Case Studies
Fee splitting with non-professionals
Dr T is a plastic surgeon in private practice. He always goes to a fitness center for exercise and gets to know the proprietor of a beauty parlour, Joanne. On one occasion, Joanne suggested to Dr T a partnership. She could recommend Dr T to her female customers who were perpetually dissatisfied with their looks and sought minor surgery. Dr T agreed to share part of the operation fees with Joanne for each successful referral. He thought that his income would not be seriously affected as he could charge patients higher operation fees.
Case Analysis
Dr T might contravene Section 15.2 of the Professional Code and Conduct issued by the Medical Council of Hong Kong (Nov 2000) because fee splitting with persons other than the bona fide partners of that practice is not permitted.
Dr T attempted to compensate his reduced profit by unreasonably increasing the operation fees. Such behaviour of placing personal interest above patients’ interest would undercut public confidence in the medical profession.