AMA medical indemnity information kit goes to all Australian doctors

The kit was included in the AMA flagship news magazine, Australian Medicine, with the usual 28,000 membership readership mail-out being increased to 55,000 for this special edition.

Dr Glasson said it was important that all doctors and their patients know all the facts about the medical indemnity crisis before any decisions are made about the future of individual medical practices under siege from high medical indemnity costs.

"The kit tries to answer all the main questions that keep flooding into AMA offices around the country," Dr Glasson said.

"We're also asking doctors to let our politicians know all about the enormity of the problem at the local level in towns and suburbs around Australia.

"A summary of how each State and Territory is responding to the need to reform tort law is also included."

Dr Glasson said the information campaign is a vital complement to the work of the medical indemnity committee being chaired by Health Minister, Tony Abbott.

"We can't sit back and let this committee do all the work in solving the medical indemnity crisis," Dr Glasson said.

"The feedback from grassroots doctors and their patients about how medical indemnity is eroding access and affordability of medical services in local communities will help the Government, the AMA and the committee find a fair long-term solution to this problem.

"The first meeting of the committee in Sydney yesterday was energetic and productive.

"We have a big agenda that demands a lot of work in a short period of time.

"All the committee members are committed and united in their pursuit of a workable solution to the medical indemnity crisis," Dr Glasson said.

CONTACT:         John Flannery            (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761

                       Judith Tokley             (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306