The country doctor who first raised the alarm over triple mushroom killer Erin Patterson has been forced to close his local medical practice, blaming a combination of regulatory action and a lack of peer support for pushing him towards 'financial oblivion'.
A star witness faces professional fallout
Dr Chris Webster was the on-call doctor at Leongatha Hospital in Victoria when Erin Patterson presented with gastro symptoms on July 31, 2023, two days after serving a fatal lunch. His suspicions about deliberate poisoning with death cap mushrooms proved crucial, and he became a star witness in the 2025 trial where Patterson was found guilty of murdering her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson.
However, his blunt public comments in high-profile interviews, where he described Patterson as a 'disturbed sociopathic nut bag', landed him in serious trouble with the medical regulator. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners ordered him to complete mandatory ethics training and revoked his ability to supervise trainee GPs.
The reasons behind the clinic's closure
Dr Webster has now confirmed the closure of the Leongatha Healthcare Practice. He cited the RACGP order and a 'complete lack of support' from fellow doctors who refused to limit their bulk billing as key factors. 'It will be a radically downsized clinic. Quite a lot of people were not in favour of me and my style,' he told the Herald Sun.
He plans to open a new 'boutique practice' instead, stating his loyal patients will follow him. 'I've got the community's back and they've got mine. My books are always open,' he added. In contrast, other doctors and staff at the practice pointed to a 'number of complex issues', including 'longstanding concerns raised by staff and clinicians regarding workplace safety and governance'.
The fateful hospital encounter
The court heard how Dr Webster's quick thinking began the unravelling of Patterson's crime. Already aware her four lunch guests were critically ill, he asked her where she sourced the mushrooms. Patterson claimed she bought them from 'Woolworths'.
Dr Webster later explained that this claim immediately made him suspect foul play. 'If she said she picked them, it would have been a very different mindset for me,' he said. 'But once she said that answer... my thoughts were, "holy f**king shit, you f**king did it, you crazy b***h, you poisoned them all." The turning point for me was that moment.'
Patterson left the hospital before treatment could begin. Her victims were fighting for life in various hospitals; only Pastor Ian Wilkinson survived.
While the practice's online booking system shows appointments available until March 10, patients can no longer book directly with Dr Webster, signalling the end of an era for the GP once hailed a hero for his role in a notorious murder case.
