AMA Submissions

AMA Submission on Good Medical Practice: A Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia (Final Consultation Draft, April 2009)

The AMC's Final Consultation Draft of April 2009 reflects the feedback they received in response to the previous public consultation draft of August 2008.        

Whilst the AMA considers the Final Consultation Draft to be a major improvement on the earlier version, the AMA has highlighted a few sections that require further amendment, including the sections on conscientious objection and on conflicts of interest. The AMA has also emphasised the need for the release of the Code to be accompanied by relevant public and profession based education campaigns and to be subject to a regular 3-5 year review cycle.  

AMA Joint Submission on Good Medical Practice: A Draft Code of Professional Conduct (August 2008)

The AMC released its first public consultation draft in August 2008 (the Draft Code).

In summary, the AMA and co-signatories do not support the Draft Code, as written. Through its use of prescriptive, directive, and authoritarian tone and language, the Draft Code:

• undermines medical professionalism and inhibits good medical practice;
• compromises the doctor-patient partnership;
• patronises and alienates the medical profession;
• does not recognise ethical standards and commitment to professionalism that already exists in the medical profession.

Co-signatories to the submission include the Australian Association of Medical Surgical Assistants, the Australian Association of Surgeons, the Australian Orthopaedic Association, the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists, the Australian Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, the Council of Procedural Specialists, the National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Rural Doctors Association of Australia, and the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand.