Support growing for independent inquiry into Trade Practices Act and doctors
President of the AMA, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said today she welcomes the support of South Australia's Minister for Human Services, Dean Brown, for an independent inquiry into the impact of the Trade Practices Act on country doctors.
Dr Phelps met with Mr Brown last evening in Adelaide.
The AMA and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia first called for the independent inquiry on 14 February in a letter to the Prime Minister.
Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, formally backed the AMA's call a fortnight later and has been on the case ever since.
In an interview with the AMA's Australian Medicine this week, Mr Anderson said:
"I don't care how it gets fixed, it has to be fixed. We cannot have a situation where doctors feel as if they are breaching the law by carrying out their normal work delivering health services to rural and regional areas."
Dr Phelps said her meeting with Mr Brown was friendly and constructive.
"We spoke about public hospital funding at a State and federal level, the issue of nurse practitioners, medical indemnity, and the ACCC," Dr Phelps said.
"While Mr Brown sees a role for the ACCC to investigate blatant breaches of the Trade Practices Act, he agreed with the AMA that feelings of insecurity and uncertainty among country doctors would be eased if there was an independent inquiry into just how the Trade Practices Act should be applied to medical practice.
"It was a very productive meeting."
CONTACT: John Flannery (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761