Good first step but health ministers must do more on mandatory reporting laws
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the AMA welcomes the Health Ministers’ decision to ask the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) to commission independent work on mandatory reporting requirements.
Dr Pesce said the decision is a great recognition of the AMA’s concerns about the effect of the requirements on doctors accessing health care when they need it.
The Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for Health, Paul Lucas, said today, following the meeting of the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference: “Ministers agreed to have a serious look at this and asked AHMAC to commission work from an independent body to further consider these issues.”
Dr Pesce said it has been the long-term view of the AMA that the issues that health practitioners become aware of in the course of providing health services to another health practitioner or medical student should be exempt from mandatory reporting.
“The AMA has been concerned about the potential impact that mandatory reporting will have on the medical workforce, particularly because the current requirements to report are very broad,” Dr Pesce said.
“All State and Territory AMAs have lobbied State and Territory Governments to include mandatory reporting exemptions for treating doctors in the national registration scheme.
“The Parliament of Western Australia has understood the issue and has included the exemption in its State law. The other jurisdictions must now also make the amendments quickly so that the national scheme remains truly national.
“Doctors’ health advisory services are reporting that, since mandatory reporting laws came into effect under the national registration scheme on 1 July 2010, the number of doctors seeking treatment has been falling.
“These reports reinforce the AMA’s concerns that mandatory reporting laws will deter doctors from seeking health care when they need it.
“Today’s decision is an important first step, and the AMA looks forward to being fully involved in the review process and a speedy outcome,” Dr Pesce said.
12 November 2010
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