34 Counsel for the Applicant also referred us to references in the material as to the value of the psychiatric services the Applicant has provided throughout his career to the western suburbs of Melbourne, and particularly to deprived areas where access to psychiatric services is difficult, and to the educational and supportive work of Dr Honey generally within the psychiatric profession.
35 We were also referred by him to passages from the transcript which supported his submission that the conduct engaged in was not predatory.
36 The board majority found that it was unlikely that Dr Honey would be likely to engage in unprofessional conduct of the nature of a sexual relationship with a patient again.
37 From the above evidence, we also find it unlikely that the Applicant would ever engage in any of the conduct found proved against him in the future. We note, however, that he did have the support of a peer review group all through the period of the relationship with the patient, and chose not to ask advice from the group or from close friends in the group. From his exposure through this complaint, we expect that his current peer review group would be in a better position to monitor him more closely in the future than it has done in the past.
38 We also agree that his work has been shown to be of great value to the community and that there is evidence that the western suburb's community psychiatric services will be diminished should he be prevented from practising for a substantial period of time. We have considered what weight should be given to this. It could be said that every time the registration of a qualified doctor is cancelled the public suffers in that the doctor is not available within the profession. This will be particularly the case when a doctor practises in an area of medicine, or a geographical area, in which there is a shortage of doctors. Still, we are prepared to accept that Dr Honey has been closely involved to the benefit of the community in establishing and maintaining psychiatric services in underprivileged areas of Melbourne. We accept that the public has an interest in Dr Honey being allowed to practise again as soon as reasonably possible, but consistent with our duty to weigh up the other factors to which we have referred.
39 We agree that his conduct was not predatory in that it did not involve a calculated series of offences. He has shown remorse at what he has done.
40 Our overriding consideration, however, is to signal to the public and the profession that behaviour of this sort will not be tolerated. The deterrent effect of disciplinary proceedings on those in the profession who might be tempted to engage in such conduct and the importance of maintaining the public's confidence in psychiatrists who practise in this State should not be underestimated.