Australian Doctor 13th Sept Issue | Page 17

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Prepare for the worstcase scenario
Not simply a waning work ethic
Is it time for a reality checkup ?
‘ Quicker than all , better than most ’
ausdoc . com . au 13 SEPTEMBER 2024

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VIEWS FROM YOUR ONLINE COMMUNITY

It would be better to normal-

Rebuilding women ’ s self-esteem
ise the requirement that every doctor has a relationship with their GP in the patient role , which is already recommended in the board ’ s code of conduct .
A first step would be adding the
‘ It ’ s almost like genital mutilation ’: Plastic surgeon tells of his work repairing botched labiaplasties
There is no “ almost ” about it .
Dr Kate Stokes GP , Melbourne , Vic
requirement at the time of renewal of registration for every medical practitioner ( of any age ) to provide an endorsement from their GP that they show no sign of being unfit to practise .
This would enforce the current recommendation that doctors
Thank you for raising awareness about this barbaric situation , Dr Mark Ashton .
And thank you for the good work you and your colleagues do .
It is hard not to despair about the low level of consciousness and lack of self-respect being imbued in young women .
should have their own GP and would address not just infirmity of age but also possible issues of mental illness , drug misuse and other problems that affect fitness to practise at any age .
It short , it would not be discriminatory .
Dr James Mitchell Anaesthetist , Melbourne , Vic
Dr Janelle Trees GP , Shellharbour , NSW
What a storm in a teacup ! My experience of the NSW Med-
If I have to examine a teenager or young woman for other reasons and note that her labia minora are more prominent , I now make a comment about how this is absolutely normal and part of her sexually responsive tissue .
Hopefully , this advice will counteract social media .
I also discuss with women undergoing cervical screening if they have a retroverted uterus and point out that it can cause discomfort with front-to-front intercourse .
Some older women have remarked that they wish they had known that over the years .
Of course , now that the younger doctors are being told that internal exams are invasive and should not be a routine part of cervical screening , this is all lost .
Dr Ruth Ratner GP , Sydney , NSW

A civil tongue makes all the difference

We are not being gagged : Doctors , free speech and the tribulations of Dr Jereth Kok
During the COVID-19 saga , I felt very uncomfortable vaccinating people who stated to me : “ I do not want this , but I have to have it , or I lose my job .”
This felt like a totally invalid form of consent .
Yet I felt , if I expressed my distaste for the mandates coming from the authorities , those same authorities would have a case that I was creating concern about their dogmatic position .
In other words , I felt I was gagged — gagged from expressing my honest opinion .
Dr Peter Morrison GP , Brisbane , Qld
Dr Kok ’ s lawyer described the case as the most important to be put before the tribunal in the past 30 years .
And the 133 comments in response to this article by Dr Sue Ieraci indicate the significance of the case to our profession , its regulation and legal practice .
Medicine has many complex , wicked problems , such as abortion and euthanasia , as well as the distortion of medical practice by the intrusion of third parties and their money .
We then have a regulator with practically unfettered and unaccountable powers to adjudicate on doctors ’ opinions that may be challenging or lack sophistication , followed by the imposition of severe sanctions , such as instant suspension under emergency powers with denial of income .
It can take years and significant resources to gain access to a judicial review , as has happened in the Dr Kok case .
Thank you , Sue , for eliciting such a brisk reflex from your colleagues .
To me , it is an indication of serious underlying pathology , which is now occurring .
Dr Christopher Davis Physician , Moreton Bay , Qld
I think what Dr Ieraci ’ s article is about is good manners and respect . There is a skill in expressing a contrary viewpoint without offending or insulting the other side .
It is the domain of the ignorant to resort to insults and swearing .
Doctors , especially , should always act with decorum and express their opinions politely . Good manners go a very long way .
Dr Nicholas Stanley-Cary GP , Perth , WA

Prepare for the worstcase scenario

How an off-duty ED doctor turned up at a stranger ’ s door to save a life
Such a great story .
Twenty-five years ago , I came across a terrible traffic accident . I was in my husband ’ s car — in very good clothes , heels , etc — and had to struggle down a muddy embankment to reach one of the victims .
It certainly is dreadful having no equipment and no backup .
Since then , I have made sure I have airways , IVs , etc , in both cars .
Dr Maureen Fitzsimon GP , Sunshine Coast , Qld

Not simply a waning work ethic

What ’ s happening to our acute care skills ? The broken heart of general practice
GPs have been treated poorly by the government for a long time and have lost our goodwill .
Most are now working as contractors .
It is not surprising that many opt for part-time work , or work in niche areas .
After all , you can make a good income privately and have a good work – life balance .
All well and good , but with the shortage of GPs and the limits of
the current care models , we are not meeting the community needs and we are being sidelined .
We did not create this crisis , but we need leadership with vision to keep general practice at the heart of primary care .
Dr Louisa Ennis GP , Melbourne , Vic
I think that GPs having the capacity to opt for a reasonable work – life balance is positive .
In my case , I have young children and a partner who works full-time . I am not willing to neglect them to see a few extra patients a day .
Many of us do not work fulltime because of parenting , caring responsibilities , illness , disability and a host of other reasons besides work ethic .
Believe me , I have plenty of washing to sort , dishes to do and lunches to make .
Dr David Phelps GP , Albury , NSW

Is it time for a reality checkup ?

Will GPs really want to do mandatory health checks on their fellow doctors ? AusDoc asks the medical board chair
The board ’ s view of the problem is too narrow and the new proposals too prescriptive to be widely acceptable .
It is intrinsically discriminatory to target assessments to a particular age group , and detailed criteria for assessing competence will generate pointless busywork , which may be onerous .
ical Board , and the experience of a colleague who assesses impaired health practitioners , is that medical board chair Dr Anne Tonkin is on the ball .
We doctors are flesh and blood , heir to all the ailments , mental as well as physical .
Don ’ t deny it .
Dr Peter Arnold OAM Medical practitioner , Sydney , NSW

‘ Quicker than all , better than most ’

Is this finally a revolution for patient consults that GPs actually want ?
A colleague gave me a demo of the AI scribes generating medical notes based on a recording of the consult . We had a mock consult , and I threw in a few curly ( yet real-world ) non-sequiturs .
The machine produced a good summary and a referring GP letter instantly . Put simply , it is quicker than any of us and better than most of us .
Once it learns to operate , surgeons are gone .
Dr Ian Hargreaves Surgeon , Sydney , NSW
I have been using this tool for a week now , as it was provided at my new place of work .
It allows me to pay more attention to the patient and organises my notes even if the consult has meandered a bit .
My concern is that the notes must be edited for mistakes .
The AI might also add differential diagnoses or possible options for care that I did not articulate .
In the future , that may assist me , maybe not .
Dr Ingrid Virgona GP , Wagga Wagga , NSW