Indemnity reforms assures coverage for doctors
3 June, 2004
The State Government has introduced new medical indemnity reforms
to provide ongoing security for doctors and their patients in the
Western Australian public health system.
Health Minister Jim McGinty announced today a major overhaul of
the Medical Indemnity program covering doctors working in the State's
public hospital system.
The changes follow extensive discussions with the Australian Medical
Association (WA) and further support the Government's commitment
to ensuring the ongoing viability and quality of medical services
in WA.
The new arrangements replace temporary measures introduced by
the WA Government after patient services were threatened by an
indemnity crisis last year.
The temporary measures ensured patients could still be treated
in public hospitals by visiting medical practitioners and other
non-salaried doctors.
Mr McGinty said the latest reforms contained important improvements.
"These new arrangements mean greater security for doctors
and their patients," Mr McGinty said.
"The scope of the cover now extends to more doctors and
provides them with greater benefits."
"For example in country areas all doctors working in public
hospitals will be covered for services provided to public and,
for the first time, private patients.
"This reform means that medical services to individual patients
will not be affected by the decisions the medical practitioners
make about their private procedural indemnity cover."
The contractual medical indemnity will also be extended to cover
the Department of Health's salaried medical officers. Applying
to current and any previous employment periods, the cover extends
to all public patients and some categories of private patients
treated.
Mr McGinty said the reforms would end the uncertainty surrounding
the medical indemnity cover currently provided to more than 2800
salaried medical officers.
"The issue has been a source of ongoing concern to hospital
managers and doctors employed in the public hospital system," he
said.
"While the history of this dates back more than a decade,
the indemnity crisis of the past eighteen months has brought into
sharp focus the need to clarify the indemnity applying to salaried
doctors.
"Failure to resolve this matter had the potential to jeopardise
service delivery and continuity of care."
Mr McGinty said that the contractual indemnity for doctors would
require full and open support for quality improvement practices
such as medical audit and the reporting and investigation of adverse
events. This year, the indemnity has been extended to cover these
critical activities thereby removing any concerns doctors might
have about their participation in these essential clinical governance
activities.
AMA (WA) President Dr Brent Donovan welcomed the new package and
said it would provide long-term security and stability for doctors.
"The new arrangements mean an end to the uncertainty over
indemnity arrangements which have been a major concern for doctors
over the past few years," Dr Donovan said.
"We are pleased to have been able to work with Government
on such an important and complex issue."
Mr McGinty said the reforms would protect and strengthen the interests
of patients and doctors.
"With the assistance of a wide range of stakeholders, we
are confident that this year we have turned a very good indemnity
into an even better one."
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