ACCC misleads over doctors' rosters and the Trade Practices Act
AMA President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said today the ACCC is continuing to put out confused and misleading messages about the impact of the Trade Practices Act (TPA) on doctors' rosters.
Dr Phelps said ACCC assertions that doctors' rosters do not breach the TPA are either deliberately misleading or reflect a total lack of understanding of roster arrangements.
"It is clear that the ACCC's campaign of misinformation is designed to persuade the Government that the TPA should not be amended to allow doctors to establish rosters," Dr Phelps said.
The doctors' roster facts are as follows:
Rosters are multifaceted arrangements whereby doctors agree to cooperate to provide services.
They may, for example, involve:
1 Deciding which doctors will be included in the roster. For example, three doctors in a country town may set up a
roster but decide to exclude a fourth for professional, medical or other reasons.
Dr Phelps said rosters are an essential part of medical practice, but virtually every facet of a roster can breach the TPA as it now stands.
"The AMA will continue to lobby Government to adopt a simple notification process for roster arrangements which would provide automatic clearance under the TPA," Dr Phelps said.
"Under this system, the ACCC would only become involved if there was a clear detriment to the patients or the community involved.
"If the Government heeds the ACCC's anti doctor roster campaign, patients and communities will lose out, especially in rural and remote Australia."
CONTACT: John Flannery (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761
Judith Tokley (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306