Family of colonoscopy patient calls six-month suspension of Dr Schmidt insufficient

Concerns about Dr Liu-Ming Schmidt’s colonoscopy practice from 2018 to 2022 prompted a recall for 1,934 patients across three health services, resulting in repeat scopes that identified polyps in 548 individuals and cancer in seven. Among those affected, 78-year-old Lynette Taylor, who had a colonoscopy at Albury Wodonga Private Hospital in 2021, was later diagnosed with stage-4 bowel cancer; one outlet expert believes a missed polyp likely caused the disease.

Schmidt’s record also includes a 2019 surgical mistake that contributed to the death of 79-year-old William Edmunds. After a tribunal deemed her care below reasonable standards, the Medical Council of NSW imposed a six-month suspension in July, a penalty her daughter Belinda Taylor argues is insufficient, leading her to file a fresh complaint with the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission. Gastroenterologist Cameron Bell questioned the plausibility of five-minute colonoscopies, and Professor Cameron Stewart acknowledged the families’ disappointment with the disciplinary outcome.