The New Zealand Medical Association welcomes the announcement by Enterprise and Commerce Minister Max Bradford that the Government is to ease the administrative and compliance burden on doctors.

"We have been urging the Government for some time to reduce the paperwork and compliance costs facing doctors," NZMA Chairman Pippa MacKay says.

"New laws, such as the Accident Insurance Act, and other health sector changes have left doctors feeling completely bogged down in paperwork. As the regulatory requirements have increased, so have the cost implications for doctors and their patients.

"Doctors are not bureaucrats. They would much rather be spending quality time with their patients than filling in mountains of paperwork."

Dr MacKay said it was important to remember that sorting out administration is more than just a matter of improving a few forms. "The forms are important, but we believe the issue is more complex than that and much of it is systemic - it stems from the legislative and policy decisions made by government."

The New Zealand Medical Association is keen to work with the panel which will be set up to examine compliance costs for doctors.

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