Senator Coonan's panel well-balanced - AMA
AMA Vice-President, Dr Trevor Mudge, today commended Assistant Treasurer, Senator Helen Coonan, for selecting a well-balanced panel to examine spiralling public liability premiums, including medical indemnity premiums.
Dr Mudge said it would have been easy to stack the panel with jurists, but the appointment of a doctor and a country mayor will ensure that community concerns get a proper hearing.
"It appears that Senator Coonan appreciates that medical indemnity, like public liability, is a major social issue, and not simply an irritant to the medical profession as some had been suggesting," Dr Mudge said.
"Dr Don Sheldon is an eminent surgeon with first-hand knowledge and appreciation of the debilitating effects of the medical indemnity crisis on doctors and patients.
"The inclusion of Councillor Ian Macintosh, Mayor of Bathurst, is also appropriate.
"The AMA for some time has been warning of a threat to medical services in regional Australia because of outrageous medical indemnity premiums.
"Services like obstetrics, neurosurgery, orthopaedics and other high risk specialties could disappear from country towns if premiums continue out of control.
"With the legal profession represented by Professor Peter Cane, Chair of the Panel, Justice Ipp, has a broad range of expertise and knowledge at his disposal to provide sound advice to address a crippling community crisis.
"The AMA looks forward to the panel's reports in August and September, which will be not a moment too soon as the medical indemnity crisis shows no signs of letting up," Dr Mudge said.
CONTACT: John Flannery (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761