Government guidelines to blame for lack of surgeons

Commenting on the release of the Report, Dr Glasson said the ACCC was off track earlier this year when it claimed the Royal Australian College of Surgeons was limiting the number of surgical trainees 'for the purpose of allowing doctors to charge too much for their services'.

"The Federal Government has now acknowledged it got it wrong and increased the number of medical undergraduate places in the 2003-2004 Federal Budget," Dr Glasson said.

"But there's still a need to increase funding for postgraduate surgical training if the shortages forecast in the report are to be avoided.

"Federal and State Governments need to acknowledge this problem as a crucial first step.

"The problem won't be resolved overnight. It takes 15 years to deliver trained surgeons on the ground. The sooner solutions are put in place the better.

"The College is the only body capable of delivering high level training and standards for future surgical generations and should be allowed to get on with it free from gratuitous interference.

"Elective surgery in public hospitals has been rationed for years. The increase in private health membershi[has enabled more Australians to access elective surgery in the private hospital sector.

"The number of surgeons is not the most important limiting factor in cleaning up waiting lists in public hospitals - it is the level of funding provided to the public hospitals which sees theatres closed, beds closed, and intensive care beds closed," Dr Glasson said.

CONTACT: John Flannery (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761

Judith Tokley (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306