Interview AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, with with Matt Brown, ABC 'AM' program - AMA asks patients to contact local MPs

COMPERE: The Australian Medical Association is taking its fight over medical negligence insurance into the waiting room, to enlist patients in its campaign.

The AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, wants every doctor in the country to ask their patients to "stand up on behalf of the profession", and call their local Federal Member of Parliament to raise concerns about the issue.

The Health Minister Tony Abbott is still trying to be conciliatory, but says he's already "had an earful of doctors' concerns" and he'd rather get on with the job of settling the dispute by December.

Matt Brown reports from Canberra.

MATT BROWN: AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson is sending out an information kit and a call to action well beyond the AMA's 28,000-strong membership.

BILL GLASSON: This has gone to every doctor in Australia. There is approximately 50,000-odd doctors in Australia that are registered.

MATT BROWN: The AMA wants every doctor to write to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health about the indemnity crisis, and they'll be taking the medical negligence campaign into the waiting room, enlisting the support of patients.

BILL GLASSON: It's important that the profession out there communicates with whatever means they can to make sure their patients understand the predicament.

MATT BROWN: Doctors will be giving their patients letters about the medical negligence insurance issue, they'll be asking their patients to contact their local Federal Member of Parliament, and they'll be handing out the name and the number of the local MP, just in case there's any doubt about who to call.

BILL GLASSON: Really, at the local level we'd like doctors and their patients to speak with their MPs and try and get them to understand the situation. This is not a threat, this is really just trying to inform the local constituents exactly what the workforce situation is in their area, and if this is not solved the impact that it does have on delivering services. It's impacting across the board and I suppose this message is really to all our patients and all the politicians' constituents.

MATT BROWN: The Health Minister Tony Abbott says it would be better to wait until December when the medical negligence committee, which includes the AMA, reports to the Prime Minister.

TONY ABBOTT: We're always very happy to hear what constituents have to say to us, but I think we've well and truly got the message.

MATT BROWN: But Bill Glasson says that while negotiations continue at the highest level, doctors will be making sure they get the attention of every backbencher too.

BILL GLASSON: I mean, obviously they'll have lots of people phoning them, faxing them, ringing them, but that's what the backbenchers are used to and it's a clear message to them that this is an important issue from the community. I keep saying this is not an issue about doctors per se, it's an issue for the community and we need them to stand up on behalf of the profession, I suppose, and say, 'listen, we want our GPs, we want our specialists in our local towns'.

MATT BROWN: Is there a risk that you'll be seen to be exploiting patients?

BILL GLASSON: No, I don't think so because... I mean, if this was just a doctors' problem, then you could say that we were exploiting patients. But this is a problem for our community, I mean, you ask the community and they will tell you that their general practitioner is disappearing off the street.

MATT BROWN: While the waiting room lobbyists will no doubt have a very interested audience, Tony Abbott would rather be focussing on the tough deals yet to be done.

TONY ABBOTT: I think I've had a pretty god earful of doctors' concerns over the last couple of weeks and I respect what they're saying. I think that they do have some legitimate grievances and I'm going to do my best to address them through the policy review process, which involves senior members of the medical profession.

So I would respectfully say to patients, please let me get on with the job, along with doctors, of solving the problem, rather than simply writing letters back to a whole lot of people who have told me what I already know.

COMPERE: Health Minister Tony Abbott.

Ends