Mandatory reporting of medical conditions a step towards safety

March 19, 2008

The AMA (WA) has today congratulated the State Government on the introduction of "Mandatory Reporting of Medical Conditions" which is set to improve road safety in WA and put the onus to report medical conditions that may affect driving on to patients.

AMA (WA) President Geoff Dobb said the medical profession had a duty of care to the wider community to identify patients who suffered from medical conditions that may impair their fitness to drive.
 
He said the new legislation put the onus on patients to report any long-term medical conditions to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure, rather than leaving it up to the doctor. 

"The AMA (WA) recognises that independence of transport and mobility is highly valued in Australian society but we also recognise that possession of a licence to drive is a privilege, not a right," he said.
 
"It is the role of medical practitioners to diagnose whether a person has a medical condition that will impair their ability to drive and to quantify the extent of that impairment and to advise the patient they may not be fit to drive," he said. 

"It is then the role of Government to establish whether a person is fit to hold a licence. This is an appropriate move that will further increase road safety in WA."

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