Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President, with Julie Doyle, ABC Illawarra
COMPERE: As referred to earlier, a slanging match has erupted between the country's consumer watchdog and rural doctors over the Trades Practices Act. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Head, Professor Alan Fels, has blasted doctors for trying to get an exemption from the Act, saying this would be dangerous for country people. In return, both the Australian Medical Association and the Rural Doctors' Association hit back, accusing Professor Fels of trying to scare rural communities. Julie Doyle has the details.
DOYLE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chair, Professor Alan Fels has set the cat among the pigeons yet again, over the issue of whether the Trade Practices Act is making it hard to recruit and keep doctors in rural areas. In a surprise move yesterday, he released a statement saying there was no evidence the Act is preventing rural doctors from working together on rosters. This comes as the independent inquiry, appointed by the Federal Government last year to look at the issue, is conducting a series of hearings around the country. The inquiry is expected to release its findings mid-year, but Professor Fels hasn't waited for this. He says other issues such as lifestyle choices and wages keep doctors out of the country, not the Trade Practices Act. But he hasn't stopped there - Professor Fels has blasted doctors for beating up the issue in an attempt to get immunity from competition laws.
FELS Their clear agenda is to get an exemption from the Trade Practices Act and that would be dangerous for country people. It would mean that doctors in a country town could lawfully agree to get rid of bulk billing: There'd be no bulk billing in that town by agreement. They could agree that the new no-gap private health arrangements could also be boycotted.
They could all agree not to provide them. So there are serious risks in giving an exemption from the Trade Practices Act to rural doctors. And there is no need for it.
DOYLE But on the other side of the fence is the Australian Medical Association. Its President is Dr Kerryn Phelps.
PHELPS There is absolutely no question that the Trade Practices Act is impacting on rural doctors. It's impacting on the whole medical profession and it's impacting on the ability to provide patient care. And if you ask me, I think Alan Fels protests too much. I think we have to ask ourselves why he seems to be afraid to wait for the outcome of the inquiry which has been underway for some months now. All of the AMA's concerns have been based on very sound senior legal advice.
DOYLE And Dr Phelps has this to say in response to Professor Fels' comments that it's dangerous to give doctors an exemption from the Trade Practices Act.
PHELPS I think that's scaremongering. I think that the ACCC appears to be feeling threatened by the inquiry that's underway at the moment. We're happy to wait till the outcome of the inquiry. The ACCC tends to communicate through media releases and we would prefer to deal directly with the ACCC but up until now, we've found that to be a fairly fruitless exercise.
DOYLE The Rural Doctors' Association is also disappointed that Professor Fels has chosen to speak out now instead of waiting for the inquiry to complete its findings. Association President Ken Mackie spoke to the inquiry in Albury in NSW yesterday and he's convinced Professor Fels is way off the mark.
MACKIE Our discussions with the rural doctors - the ones at the grassroots, have confirmed that they have the impression, or the feeling or a threat, that the Trade Practices Act is adversely affecting them. And this is probably an unintended effect of the Trade Practices Act. But it certainly is real and I think it's something that Professor Fels should acknowledge.
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