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M E D I C U S
A P R I L 2 0 1 6
L E T T E R S / I N D U S T R I A L
Continued from page 4
SNAPSHOTS
THE AMA (WA)
continues to raise with the
Minister for Health and the Director General
the disquiet expressed by members about
the lack of medical engagement in the
development of medical policy; contrary
to international evidence that engagement
with medical practitioners is a necessary
component to an efficient and safe healthcare
system where patient care outcomes are
maximised.
Decisions on key policy, governance and
service delivery in WA hospitals and health
service facilities are being made with little or no
involvement of practitioners or the community.
The principles of clinical engagement are
enshrined in departmental policy, as referred
to in WA Health’s Operational Directive
0287/2010 and also in the “Memorandum of
Understanding between the Minister for Health,
the Director General of Health and Boards of
Management and the AMA (WA) in respect of
Clinical Privileges, Conduct and Governance
in WA Government Hospitals and Health
Services”.
Members are entitled to participate in clinical
decision making and should contact the AMA if
this right is being overridden.
■
THE AMA (WA)
has become aware that a practice is
developing within the WA public sector whereby members
are having their clinical independence questioned; being
directed about how to treat a patient, which device to use
and so on.
Members are reminded that under the
Good Medical
Practice: A Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia
published by the Medical Board of Australia, consistent with
the
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (WA) Act
2009
(the National Law), a medical practitioner has a duty to
make the care of patients their first concern and to practise
medicine safely and effectively. They must be ethical and
trustworthy.
The WA Health credentialing policy is also based on verifying
the qualifications and experience of medical practitioners to
determine their ability to provide independent care.
Page 1 of OD 0287/2010 refers to:
“
Building on the National Standard, WA Health has
formulated a consistent approach for credentialing and
defining the scope of clinical practice of senior doctors
with independent responsibility for patient care to be
implemented in all WA publicly funded health services.
”
Accordingly, members should feel confident challenging
managers who seek to control or reduce clinical independence.
If in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact the AMA.
■
MEDICAL ENGAGEMENT
CLINICAL INDEPENDENCE
Dear Editor
Your news article in
Medicus
of March 2016 (Volume 56
Issue 2), highlighting the advances that have occurred
at Albany Health Campus in attracting high quality
specialists omitted to mention the presence of a Specialist
Anaesthetist. Dr Alice Poon, who has been a full-time
Consultant Anaesthetist at Albany Health Campus and
resident in Albany for the past five years has worked
tirelessly to improve the safety and quality of anaesthetic
care and acute pain management there. Her significant
contribution to continuing professional development
of the GP Anaesthetists and the theatre nurses at the
hospital should not go unnoticed. The difficulty in
attracting specialist Anaesthetists to country areas is
well documented with a significant maldistribution in this
specialty. If the contribution of these specialists is not
acknowledged, the problem will be perpetuated.
Sincerely,
Dr Debra Coleman
MB ChB FRACGP FANZCA MPH MHM
Significant contribution should not go unnoticed
WESTERN AU