Pathology services must be protected
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the Government must be cautious and consultative when seeking changes to the way pathology services are provided to the Australian community.
Dr Pesce said that amendments to the Health Insurance Amendment (Pathology Requests) Bill 2010, agreed to by the Government last week, averted a situation where patient safety and quality care may have been compromised.
While the original Bill may have been well-intentioned by allowing patients to choose their own pathology provider, the amendments ensure that where a treating medical practitioner requires a test from a particular pathology provider for valid clinical or practical reasons, the specified pathology provider will conduct the test.
“All medical practitioners develop long-standing relationships with other medical practitioners to ensure that patients are provided with high quality medical care that is informed by additional expert medical opinion when it is required,” Dr Pesce said.
“Relationships between treating doctors and pathologists are no exception.
“While patient choice is important, there will always be good clinical reasons why, on occasions, a treating doctor will want the expert opinion of a particular pathology provider.
“We are pleased that the Government responded to the advice of the medical profession and agreed to amendments that are in the best interests of patients.
“The AMA acknowledges the positive contribution of Shadow Health Minister, Peter Dutton, who drafted the amendments in consultation with the AMA and introduced them to the Parliament.”
The sensible amendments were welcomed by the pathology sector, which has been the target of some punitive Government policies over the past three years. Medicare rebates for pathology services have not been indexed for more than a decade, and some pathology fees have been significantly cut. Measures that were intended to increase competition, such as lifting the restriction on pathology collection centres, are now resulting in perverse outcomes and are threatening the viability of the pathology sector.
“It is vital that Australia has an efficient and viable pathology industry. Pathology services are key clinical tools in assessing, diagnosing and treating disease early,” Dr Pesce said.
“If any of the new pathology funding arrangements currently being considered for next year’s Budget are implemented, there is a significant risk that many pathology providers will find it difficult to continue operating.
“This would threaten timely access to the high quality pathology services that Australians currently enjoy.
“The Government must not make any further policy or funding changes that could have a negative impact on the access and affordability of pathology services for patients until there have been proper and meaningful discussions with the AMA and the pathology providers,” Dr Pesce said.
7 December 2010
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