Dr Sharmila Chandran Racp Suspension Leaves College Leadership Split
Dr Sharmila Chandran’s dr sharmila chandran racp suspension removes the Royal Australasian College of Physicians president-elect from her role as a responsible person until 20 September. The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission acted after SafeWork NSW said her alleged failure to comply with a directive not to contact RACP staff exposed them to “immediate and serious risks to their psychological health and safety.”
The college had been due to move Chandran into the presidency and board chair role after an annual general meeting planned for 29 May. Instead, the suspension leaves the RACP’s leadership transition unsettled while the regulator keeps its action in place through late September.
SafeWork NSW and the ACNC
SafeWork NSW issued a prohibition notice on 5 May directing board members to refrain from communicating with RACP staff except for the chief executive. The ACNC said Chandran persisted to communicate in writing with RACP staff in contravention of the directions made in that notice.
That step followed earlier pressure on the college. In March, the RACP was found to have contravened workplace health and safety laws, and board members unsuccessfully asked in March and April for the ACNC to dissolve the board. Earlier this month, the ACNC met with the board and later told the college it intended to investigate.
RACP board conflict
The suspension lands in a board already marked by internal conflict. Last August, the board informed members that it had passed a vote of no confidence in Chandran, accusing her of “adversarial and disrespectful behaviour” and of contributing “to a toxic culture at the board table.”
In April, a tumultuous vote run by Chandran ousted outgoing president Prof Jennifer Martin five weeks early, and Chandran’s husband called NSW police during that vote. Chandran later wrote to members on 21 September, saying she “reject[ed] these damaging claims completely.”
The RACP has more than 32,000 physicians in Australia and New Zealand across 33 specialties, and membership is mandatory for trainee doctors who wish to become accredited as specialists. With the presidency change now blocked, the college must operate while its board and regulator remain in conflict over who can direct staff and govern the institution.
