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12 Dec 2025
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has issued a rare public statement to protect the public from a man whose conduct is under investigation.
The public statement names Bill Tolis, a cancelled and prohibited medical practitioner, who Ahpra fears may be continuing to provide health services despite being banned.
Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner said the decision to issue a public statement was not taken lightly.
‘We take our responsibility to protect the public very seriously and would not be doing this if we did not believe it was necessary based on the evidence before us,’ Mr Untersteiner said.
‘The public has a right to expect regulated health services to be delivered by safe and qualified registered health practitioners. When that doesn’t happen, there is a very real risk of harm.
‘We set the highest safety and quality standards for the 16 professions we regulate. Most registered practitioners do the right thing by their patients and help us uphold these standards. However, for those who don’t, we will not hesitate to take action. For the most serious matters, we will refer them to a tribunal which has the power to cancel a practitioner’s registration.’
In 2022, the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Tolis had engaged in professional misconduct and ordered that his registration be cancelled. This followed an investigation by Ahpra and the Medical Board of Australia.
The tribunal also ordered Tolis be disqualified from applying for registration for seven years and prohibited from providing any health services, including services as a naturopath, for seven years. Tolis failed in an attempt to have the prohibition order lifted. The order was upheld on appeal by the Supreme Court of South Australia in 2023 and remains in effect until 9 August 2029.
Naturopaths are not part of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme but the ban extends to the provision of any health services, including naturopath services.
Providing health services in contravention of a prohibition order is a criminal offence under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, carrying penalties per offence of up to $60,000, three years’ imprisonment, or both.
Ahpra believes Tolis may be continuing to provide health services, including naturopath services, and is investigating his activities since 9 August 2022. Anyone who suspects they may have received any health treatment from Tolis, or who has information that he has claimed to be a medical practitioner or provided a health service, is encouraged to contact Ahpra’s Criminal Offences Unit via [email protected]
The power to issue a public statement came into force two years ago but has only been used once before. In June this year, Ahpra issued a public statement naming Peter Terzi, also known as Peter Taylor, due to concerns he was continuing to present himself as a registered dentist or nurse while unregistered.
Strict confidentiality obligations in the National Law prohibit us from commenting on the reasons for making a public statement, but a full natural justice process was followed in accordance with the National Law. This included the individual being provided with all the information pertaining to the decision and given an opportunity to make submissions.
More information about public statements and warnings can be found on the Ahpra website.
Every health practitioner who is registered to practise in Australia is listed on the publicly available and searchable Register of practitioners. The information on the register includes any current cautions or restrictions on their practice, and there is a separate list of cancelled and prohibited practitioners and a list of practitioners who have formally agreed not to practise.
‘We take our responsibility to protect the public very seriously and would not be doing this if we did not believe it was necessary based on the evidence before us,’ – Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner.
