Collie vet and practice deregistered after breaches

The operators of a Collie veterinary clinic have had their registration revoked after they were found to have allowed an unregistered veterinarian to complete surgeries and provided false records in an attempt to hide the breaches. Vandenbergh Veterinary Group, which operates services in Collie, Darkan, Narrogin and other regional towns, was found guilty of unprofessional conduct, fined $10,000 and will have its name removed from the Register of Veterinary Surgeons, Western Australia, as of November 15. Vet Anne-Maria Muffert will also have her name removed from the register after providing false statements to an inspector in relation to the matter. A State Adminisrative Tribunal hearing found that between September 25, 2018, and May 14 of this year, VVG employed Sara Caretti and permitted her to perform surgery despite knowing she was not an approved nurse or a registered veterinary surgeon. Ms Caretti, who studied in Italy and moved to Collie on a temporary skills shortage visa, performed 22 separate surgeries while unregistered. In an attempt to cover its tracks, practice manager Kristy Elvin provided false records of surgeries involving Ms Caretti to Veterinary Surgeon’s Board inspector Chris Lloyd. The false records listed Dr Muffert as the surgeon, who when contacted directly by Mr Lloyd, confirmed to him she had completed the surgeries. “The board has information that casts doubt that you performed each of the Table A surgeries at Collie Veterinary Services on the date in the relevant clinical records,” Mr Lloyd told Dr Muffert. Dr Muffert then confirmed again to Mr Lloyd she had performed the surgeries, adding: “I understand that a person who intentionally makes a false statement in a statutory declaration is guilty of an offence ... and I believe that the statements in this declaration are true in every particular.” Collie Veterinary Services is the clinic previously managed by Nicholas Paley Edis, who faces a string of sexual assault charges spanning five years. The Veterinary Surgeon’s Board and Collie Veterinary Services both declined to comment.