Lead Clinicians Groups Discussion Paper keeps Clinicians out of key hospital decision-making

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the second Lead Clinicians Groups discussion paper has failed to address any of the AMA’s concerns from the first paper that clinicians will be left out of key decision-making in Local Hospital Networks (LHNs).

The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) released the second discussion paper last week and invited responses from stakeholders by 17 June before taking final recommendations to the Health Minister.

Dr Pesce said the latest paper has made no advances on the role of clinicians from the paper released in January.

“According to the new discussion paper, local Lead Clinicians Groups will be limited to clinical practice issues, not overall hospital and health service management,” Dr Pesce said.

“This is not the Government’s original intention for the Lead Clinicians Groups.

“Former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, announced at the 2010 AMA National Conference Lead Clinicians Groups would guide LHNs in ‘service planning and the most efficient allocation of clinical services’ and ‘developing innovative solutions that best address the needs of local communities’.

“Things have gone dramatically backwards in twelve months.

“The new proposal from DoHA is that Lead Clinician Groups will provide the ‘interface’ between LHNs and Medicare Locals and advise on the implementation of clinical standards and improving the patient journey.

“The proposals do not put clinicians any closer to decision makers or in a leadership role for key decisions affecting hospitals.

“This is not good enough.

“Lead Clinicians Groups must be integral in all decisions related to resource allocation, service planning and provision, and patient care at the local hospital level.

“And they must be able to discuss hospital resource issues directly with LHN management,” Dr Pesce said.