Receptionist tells of seeing files changed

Hongsheng Kong. Photo / Martin Sykes

An Auckland doctor's former receptionist has told a court that she became concerned when she saw her colleague changing a long list of patients' files to show that they were enrolled with his Panmure surgery.

Megan Liau gave evidence yesterday on the fourth day of an Auckland District Court depositions hearing against Hongsheng Kong, 42.

Kong faces 24 charges of fraud. He is accused of manipulating his patients' files to obtain extra money in Government subsidies.

Ms Liau told the court she became concerned when she saw her colleague, receptionist Creon Ng, updating a large number of patient files.

"I knew that what she was doing was not right," Ms Liau said.

"I knew that changing the process from non-funded to funded was not right.

"I knew that patients could only be shown as enrolled if they had signed a patient enrolment form."

In cross-examination, Kong's lawyer, Paul Davison, QC, asked: "If you thought what she was doing wasn't right, did you ask her about that or talk to her about that?"

Ms Liau said she did not.

Mr Davison asked Ms Liau if she spoke to Kong or his wife Wendy Qiu, a senior nurse at the practice, about her concerns or if she had sought an explanation.

She said she did not.

Mr Davison asked Ms Liau about training sessions she attended in March 2006 run by Auckpac - the primary health organisation that provided funding to Kong's clinic - during which she learned of upcoming changes to patient funding.

Ms Liau said she understood from the training that patients who were registered would not be funded but patients who were enrolled would be.

Kong's former practice nurse Queenie Kiew also gave evidence yesterday, saying she was told to make children a priority as casual patients "to get more money, more funding".

To Mr Davison, Ms Kiew said many patients would come to the clinic to enrol after a poster was distributed around the neighbourhood advertising the clinic's rates.

Kong had never asked her to enrol anyone without an enrolment form.

Kong also faces one charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice for allegedly tampering with a file to change his original diagnosis of a patient who later died of melanoma.

The depositions hearing, in which Justices of the Peace Donald Harrow and Robin Wray will decide if Kong has a case to answer, is expected to finish today.

Kong is still practising medicine, but under conditions that prevent him having any financial or management interests in any practice at which he is working.