Senior Doctors Very Disappointed With Government

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,
THURSDAY 31 JULY 2003

“Senior Doctors Very Disappointed With Government Action Over Flawed Health Bill”

“Senior doctors are very disappointed that the Government has proceeded with the controversial Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Bill in Parliament today,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today. The Bill went through its Second Reading today.

“Associate Health Minister Ruth Dyson incorrectly claimed that the Bill was based on the successful Medical Practitioners Act. This is untrue and she has been badly advised. In some key features, especially the untested scopes of practice, the Bill is seriously inferior and risks compromising the health and safety of the public.”

“Ms Dyson has also been poorly advised about the Health Ministry’s consultation process over the Bill. Until late last year senior doctors had been led to believe that scopes of practice under the Bill would be based on the registration provisions of the Medical Practitioners Act. We were misled as scopes of practice are considerably less rigorous and protective for the public than registration under the Medical Practitioners Act.”

“Parliament would be doing the public a great disfavour if it repealed the successful Medical Practitioners Act while serious public health and safety risks remain,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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