Australian Medical Association

Newsreader: The Australian Medical Association has defended the role of doctors in drug trials. The Australian Drug Evaluation Committee says its concerned that doctors and pharmaceutical companies are using patients as guinea pigs for clinical trials without their full knowledge. The committee says there needs to be greater protection for patients. But AMA President, Kerryn Phelps, says the role of doctors is entirely appropriate. Dr Phelps: The situation with clinical trials in

The Federal President of the AMA, Dr Kerryn Phelps, and the President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA), Dr David Mildenhall, today called for an independent inquiry into the impact of competition policy and the Trade Practices Act (1974) on the recruitment and retention of rural doctors. Dr Phelps said a meeting in Canberra today of representatives of the ACCC, the AMA, RDAA, other GP groups, the Department of Health, and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabi

Question: Dr Phelps, can I just ask you on another matter what do you think about a decision by certain doctors in Melbourne to withhold treatment from patients who smoke? Dr Phelps: I think it's a very difficult question. We do have limited health dollars and resources are being rationed whether we like it or not because there are not enough health dollars to go around to meet all of the need and I think what a lot of the doctors are saying is that we need to see a contribution b

Compere: Now to the report that reveals more than 80 per cent of junior doctors are working an unsafe number of hours every week. That has serious implications for their well-being and the well-being of patients. With me now - AMA President Dr Kerryn Phelps. Good morning. Dr Phelps: Good morning Ali. Compere: Well, this issue of junior doctors working long hours is not new. But were you surprised at just how widespread your survey showed the problem was? Dr Phelps: We weren't su

More than 80 per cent of junior doctors are working unsafe hours - high-risk or significant risk - according to a national audit of junior doctors' rosters. The AMA last year conducted a risk assessment of 195 junior doctors' work schedules, ranking them in three risk categories high risk, significant risk, or low risk. The results showed 29% were high risk (up to 106 hours a week), 53% were significant risk (up to 86 hours a week) and 18% were low risk (up to 64 hours a week).

The Federal President of the AMA, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said today that Health Minister, Michael Wooldridge, must ensure that the integrity, independence and international reputation of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) is protected. Dr Phelps was responding to newspaper reports today that the Government is planning to appoint industry lobbyist, Mr Pat Clear, to PBAC. "I am concerned by reports that Mr Clear has already been appointed, with only the public announc

Compere: Ian Hickey describes the increase as appropriate as GPs have become more willing to prescribe newer classes of anti-depressants but fewer side effects. And joining me now on the line is the federal president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Kerryn Phelps. Now Dr Phelps, I find these figures somewhat alarming, that we should be writing 500 prescriptions for anti-depressants for every 1,000 Australians over the age of 15, if only because that many Australians sh

A second consecutive quarterly drop in bulk billing rates by general practitioners has confirmed the AMA's warnings that the current Medicare schedule is no longer sustainable. GP attendances that were bulk billed fell from 78.3 per cent (Sept 2000 quarter) to 77.6 per cent (Dec 2000 quarter) their lowest rate in seven years. During the month of December alone they dropped to 77.2 per cent.* AMA Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, predicted bulk billing would drop to its lowes

Patient safety may be at risk if GPs are not playing a central role in any 24-hour medical hotline, according to AMA Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps. Dr Phelps said the AMA supported the ALP's broad plans to expand after hours services for patients provided they included proper medical supervision. "We have seen this scenario played out in the US where nurses running 24-hour call centres are giving dramatically different advice to the same inquiries from patients and are fo

A group of doctors at Mudgee in central west New South Wales will stop delivery of all obstetric services unless government takes action on soaring medical insurance fees. Mudgee GP, Dr David Barclay, said the recent call on members by NSW indemnity insurer, United Medical Protection, would mean GP proceduralists would have to find an additional $13,000 a year to insure themselves against liability a total of $26,000. "Any doctor who's wearing this cost is wearing a noose aro

Australian Medical Association Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, today called for the Federal Government's full commitment to a national overhaul of medical fees which would preserve universal access to Medicare. Dr Phelps said a five-year study by the Federal Government and the AMA into Medicare Benefits Schedule fees - the Relative Value Study (RVS) was now in its final phase and had been submitted to the Federal Health Minister. "This is the first total overhaul of medical

Available places in residential aged care facilities could be increased substantially if the Federal Government funded a new 'restorative' care category for sick and dependent residents, according to the Australian Medical Association. Chair of the AMA's Public Health and Aged Care Committee, Dr Bill Pring, said existing aged care funding was skewed the wrong way - providing highest subsidies for the most dependent residents, rather than incentives to make them better. While w

The nation's largest medical indemnity organisation, United Medical Protection (UMP), has agreed to a request from Australian Medical Association President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, for an independent review of its financial situation. The request for the review stemmed from the call by UMP on doctors for substantial additional funds to cover rapidly escalating costs of medical injury claims. "We must be sure that doctors are adequately covered at a cost that is based on a realistic ass

AMA Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, and former Olympian marathon runner, Rob de Castella, today launched the AMA's "Get Active Get Healthy!" promotion, encouraging more Australians to become involved in sport and physical fitness in 2001. "Australians are leading increasingly sedentary lifestyles in which exercise and movement play a very small part - if any," Dr Phelps said. "Only half of us play sport or take part in a physical activity and that drops to just 33% for

The AMA has called for more government funding to target youth smoking with research showing 75% of regular (daily) smokers have taken up the habit by age 21. Commonwealth Bank Group/AMA Youth Health Advocate, Melanie Earl, said a state and territory breakdown of the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare's 1998 National Drug Strategy Household Survey released today, showed that anti-smoking messages were not getting through to young people. She said the survey showed that i

Bulk billing by general practitioners has dropped to its lowest level in seven years. Figures obtained by the AMA from the Health Insurance Commission show GP attendances that were bulk billed fell from 79.3 per cent (Sept 1999 quarter) to 78.3 per cent (Sept 2000 quarter) - their lowest rate in seven years. AMA Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said doctors had been forced to bulk bill fewer services because the Medical Benefits Schedule was grossly outdated and underfunded

The AMA, Consumers' Health Forum and Australian Private Hospitals Association have joined forces to launch a consumers checklist on private health insurance. AMA Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said 60,000 of the checklists would be printed and distributed to GPs' rooms and doctors' surgeries across Australia. Consumers' Health Forum Executive Director, Matthew Blackmore, said the checklist recommended that fund members take up a series of issues with their private insurer.

There has been overwhelming public support for calls to reform Australia's medical litigation system. A survey by Wirthlin Worldwide Australasia Pty Ltd found 83 per cent of respondents supported calls for a fairer, quicker and less legalistic approach to the problem of US style lawsuits against specialist doctors. A telephone survey of a representative sample asked 400 people whether they supported reforming court processes to reduce legal costs, changing tax laws so that regula

The AMA's Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, welcomed the announcement of a Code of Practice between the private health funds and private hospitals - but warned that private patients could still be restricted in their choice of hospital. "The AMA is opposed to the health funds limiting patient choices," Dr Phelps said. "Private patients need to realise that if the hospital, or doctor, to whom they are referred does not have a specific contract with their health fund, the reba

The compromise reached between the Government, Labor and the Democrats on the future of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in the Senate on Thursday 7 December 2000 is a vast improvement on the Government's original proposals. However, it is vitally important that the Government adheres to the spirit of the agreement and makes appointments that ensure that the expertise and the independence of the Committee are maintained. The President of the AMA, Dr Kerryn Phel

Australia's peak medical colleges and medical bodies have signed a mass letter to Health Ministers and Attorneys-General Federal and State - recommending urgent reforms to the medical litigation system. Australian Medical Association Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said the letter followed a crisis meeting in Melbourne last weekend in which doctors voiced renewed concerns about soaring medical insurance premiums. "These are not exaggerated claims - rural GPs are abandoning

A $343 million surplus for the private health insurance industry should be used to waive harsh rules for new members on pre-existing illnesses, according to the AMA's Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps. Dr Phelps was commenting on a report by the Private Health Insurance Administration Council showing private funds had reaped massive profits through new memberships since the introduction of government incentives - including Lifetime Health Cover and the 30% rebate. "This is a gr

A funding injection of $900 million over the next two years would allow public hospitals to keep their 'heads above water', according to the AMA's Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps. "We urge the Federal Government to adopt this and the other recommendations in the Senate's report into public hospital funding, released today," Dr Phelps said. "An increase of $900 million would be in line with AMA calls for a funding boost of five to six per cent per annum to get public hospitals

In an unprecedented move Australia's peak medical colleges and representative bodies have issued a joint call for wideranging reforms to stop spiralling medical insurance costs. Presidents and delegates from key medical specialties - including surgery, anaesthetics, obstetrics and gynaecology, emergency medicine, ophthalmology and dermatology held a crisis meeting in Melbourne today to put forward a series of policy initiatives. Australian Medical Association Federal Presiden

The Australian Medical Association today called for a Senate inquiry into proposed Federal Government legislation which threatened to compromise the independence of an expert panel overseeing the subsidising of pharmaceutical products. AMA Federal Vice-President, Dr Trevor Mudge, said it was critical that the independent nature of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) be preserved. Dr Mudge was commenting on reports that the Federal Government was going to rush

The Australian Medical Association has won a victory against a draft ACCC determination on genetic testing by life insurers. Last year the Investment and Financial Services Association (IFSA represents life insurers) asked the ACCC for an authorisation to approve its genetic testing policy. As part of the policy, life insurers agreed they would not initiate or induce any genetic testing on life insurance applicants. In its draft determination, the ACCC refused authorisation on t

Big business is rapidly buying out the traditional family medical practice and a long legacy of lousy Medicare rebates is to blame, according to a research paper released today by the Australian Medical Association. The paper, recently endorsed by the AMA's Federal Council, examines the threats and challenges presented by the sudden upsurge in corporate acquisition of general practices traditionally owned and run by GPs. "While not all models of corporatisation are undesirable, the

If the government ignores the health sector in allocating its $4.3 billion budget bonanza it will be committing electoral suicide, AMA Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said today. "A surplus of that magnitude is desperately needed to fund our public hospital system and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), as well as key areas of indigenous health and tobacco control," Dr Phelps said. "Our public hospitals need a funding injection of 5.5 to six per cent - or about $600m to

The Federal Government must act decisively to protect the high standards of surgery in Australia by preserving the training and education role of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the Federal President of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said today. The call comes as the ACCC claims the college's training and entry arrangements breach the Trade Practices Act. "Standards of surgery in Australia are among the world's best," Dr Phelps said. "But that

The Australian Medical Association has joined the call for new or lapsed blood donors to help boost national blood supplies. AMA Federal President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, said blood supplies were expected to drop by more than five per cent when a new health policy came into effect from 21 December, aimed at protecting Australia's blood supplies from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. "We fully support the search underway by the Australian Red Cross to find lapsed donors who have not d