The Medical Council says it has begun gathering information "with urgency" in regard to a Kaiapoi GP who has been filmed handing out fraudulent vaccine exemption certificates at her clinic.
Newshub captured Jonie Girouard coaching clients on how to get away with using themand declaring she was unvaccinated.
The Medical Council, the body that ensures doctors were competent and fit to practise, is now working alongside the Ministry of Health (which set the vaccination requirements), the Health and Disability Commissioner and the police to investigate the case.
Its chair Dr Curtis Walker said he could not say much about the individual case while it was under consideration.
"We did receive a complaint from the HDC [Health and Disability Commissioner] and have promptly started our processes of gathering the information we need with urgency and that really involves seeking the doctor's response to what are pretty serious concerns."
One of the fake vaccine exemption certificates.
Dr Walker said in general terms whenever the Medical Council receives a complaint about a doctor's "competence or conduct or health" it can firstly seek an undertaking from the doctor to modify their practice in some way which may include limiting the number of patients they can see or to have a chaperone.
He said at the most extreme end the council can suspend a doctor from practising while investigations are carried out.
