Interview - AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, with Stephanie Kennedy, Radio ABC 'AM' - National registration scheme for doctors gives rise to privacy concerns

TONY EASTLEY: A plan for a national registration scheme giving consumers access to doctors' personal and professional details is top of the agenda for the nation's health ministers meeting in Canberra.

The Federal Health Minister, Tony Abbott will put forward the proposal, and while the states and territories think it makes sense, the nation's peak medical lobby argues the scheme raises serious privacy concerns for doctors.

Stephanie Kennedy reports from Canberra.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Doctors register in the state or territory where they are working. If they want to practice in another state then they have to pay another registration fee.

The Federal Health Minister, Tony Abbott, wants a national system.

TONY ABBOTT: Registration can be many of hundred of dollars, and while it's fair enough that people have to pay that once, there's no reason why they should have to pay it twice or even three times depending upon the number of states and territories they're registered in.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: A national register of doctors would also give patients access to a wide range of private and medical details.

Dr Bill Glasson, the President of the Australian Medical Association supports the move in principal but he argues there are problems with the scheme.

BILL GLASSON: I mean, the linkage of such things as medical indemnity cover, where you've had any particular medical indemnity claims against you, any sort of court actions against you, all those sort of, I suppose, details that you could argue if you're going to put them against doctors why don't you put them against every other professional or any person that, whether it be an engineer or an architect or a pharmacist. I don't think those details are necessary from a patient's perspective.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Some people would argue that patients should have a right to know if doctors have had a malpractice finding made against them or that there are existing suspensions or restrictions.

BILL GLASSON: Most of the claims that occur against the doctor, as has been proven over and over again, has got little to do about negligence and more to do about patients attempting to get some sort of compensation for an adverse outcome.

So I don't think by putting a notice a, you know, a notice up on the internet for some people to access actually explains the situation and why this situation may have occurred, and certainly in no way tells you, by identifying that, in no way tells you whether that is a good or a bad doctor.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Tony Abbott's confident the health ministers will be able to accommodate the doctors' concerns.

Also on today's agenda, a push by Victoria for co-located GP clinics. With fewer and fewer doctors bulk billing and even less after hours medical centres, the states argue public hospitals are swamped as they're the only place patients can receive free access to a doctor.

The states and territories want GP clinics set up within the vicinity of public hospitals but to do that they need Medicare approval and Federal Government support.

Tony Abbott's already announced 4 clinics in Western Australia and Victoria's Bronwyn Pike wants that extended to her state.

BRONWYN PIKE: Well, look, I think that the Commonwealth's dragging its feet with the GP Clinics. We've said that we're ready to go, and I know that they are supportive so I do think it's just a matter of timing and I'll be urging the Federal Minister to give the approval so that we can get rolling.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Mr Abbott says he's willing to look at the proposal on a case-by-case basis.

TONY EASTLEY: Stephanie Kennedy reporting.

Ends