AMA (WA) welcomes medical indemnity rescue package

17 December, 2003

The AMA (WA) President, Dr Brent Donovan, today welcomed the Federal Government's Indemnity Rescue Package.

"Whilst recognising the positive aspects, there was still a need to carefully monitor long term viability.

"The Taskforce which included the Federal President of the AMA, Dr Bill Glasson, and the Minister for Health, The Hon Tony Abbott, had achieved a significant amount in a very short period and all had worked very hard to achieve a "win-win" situation given the current complexity surrounding medical indemnity insurance. They should be congratulated for their efforts.

"The package that has been announced today by the Federal Government offered many doctors more comfort, with the knowledge that the Federal Government now firmly understood the spiralling costs that have been associated with medical indemnity over the last decade.

"To complement the work of the Taskforce, it was now important that the WA State Government introduce, with a high degree of urgency, complementary Tort Law Reform reflecting the views consistent with the Ipp recommendations. There is also a need to address other indemnity issues outstanding at a State level.

"It is important that any Tort Law Reform introduced in Western Australia was clear, unambiguous and not open to liberal interpretation by the courts.

Dr Donovan indicated that this was a very good "first step", but much work still needed to be done over the next 18 months to provide complete certainty for the future.

"If these initiatives translate to reduced premiums this is good for patient care," Dr Donovan said.

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