Senator ’ s tone-deaf comments ruffle doctors ’ feathers .

to do with the Federal Government and everything to do with the culture of medicine .

She then made the politically ele-

This virtually closed all orthopaedics and ophthalmology departments , and public blame fell on the politicians , not the striking doctors .

mentary tactical error of directing

At that time , I was all for Medibank

her bile at the most junior witness to

— as it was then called — and regarded

appear before the committee .

the strike leader , orthopaedic surgeon

To her credit , Jasmine Davis ,

Dr Bruce Shepherd , and his AMA dis-

president of the Australian Medi-

ciple , Dr Brendan Nelson , as unfeeling

cal Students ’ Association , had the

right-wing zealots .

wit and courage to remind the sen-

They preached that we doctors

ator that the purpose of a Senate

must always be the patients ’ doctors ,

Emeritus Professor Max Kamien Senior honorary research fellow at the University of WA .

hearing is “ listening to people and their concerns ”.

Senator Hughes is a politician with an impressive CV in terms of

not the government ’ s doctors — nor the doctors of big business .

The RACGP agonised for months before they took the Queen ’ s shilling

qualifications and work and life

in return for a higher Medicare rebate

experience . She lived in Moree , NSW , for 20 years and is an advocate for rural people , especially those with disabilities .

I would not judge her on the basis of one hissy . But that hissy resulted in 84

Senator Hollie Hughes .

for college fellows and accredited participation in continuing education activity .

This was the beginning of GP dependency on government handouts .

Dr Shepherd and Dr Nelson were

section is anything to go by .

comments on the AusDoc website . This

right .

Senator Hughes said last month she

beat the previous high of 77 comments

incentivises corporate medicine .

been studiously silent on this matter ,

Senator Hughes ’ accusations that

was “ offended ” these GPs were com-

posted on an article about a GP being

But most of all , it is because suc-

and most patients now believe that all

GPs are “ self-serving ” are senseless .

plaining when they earned “ hundreds

ordered to pay $ 184,645 in damages

cessive governments have lacked the

GP care is free , including expensive

Most people act in their own or in their

of thousands of dollars a year ” and

after being found negligent for failing

interest or desire to educate the public

dressings .

group ’ s self-interest , and in a finite

were “ quite often the highest-paid peo-

to follow up his surgical referral of a

that Medicare is a government rebate

The result is rapid one-problem-at-

financial system , winning support for

ple in country towns and yet expect

patient with a chronic foot infection .

to help defray the cost of a medical

a-time medicine because it is finan-

a cause usually means less for other

the government to further incentivise

There are many reasons for the

consultation , or procedure , and is not

cially rewarded , while spending time

laudable causes .

them ”.

expensive failures of government and

meant to cover the full cost .

and making relationships with a

But used in the way Senator Hughes

She concluded that the shortage of

educational institutions to alleviate

In 1977 , the Medicare rebate was

patient is not .

chose to use it was just an aggressive

GPs in non-metro areas was because

the shortage of GPs where they are

designed to cover 85 % of the cost .

This leads to patient inconvenience

way to say that she had made up her

future graduates saw general practice

most needed .

Based on the current recommended

and the medically unnecessary shunt-

mind about the issues confronting the

as a “ second-rate career option ”, with

They include the narrow special-

AMA fee , it now covers 45 %.

ing of patients from the cheaper end

inquiry and was not going to listen to

only 15 % of medical students consider-

ist-dominated culture of medicine ,

Legislation to enable GPs to use

of medical care to the most expensive

any alternative point of view .

ing it as a preferred career choice .

the vast differential between special-

Medicare and point-of-care charging

end .

Two thousand years ago , Jewish

To be clear , this outburst was dur-

ist and GP incomes ( that former Min-

would go a long way to attract GPs to

Governments are scared of special-

sage Rabbi Hillel put the expression

ing a Senate committee hearing , but

ister for Health Tony Abbott was going

areas of need .

ists as many work in public hospitals

‘ self-interest ’ in its rightful perspec-

she actually sits on the committee .

to fix ), ridiculous bureaucracy wast-

Federal Minister for Health Greg

and can go on strike at any time — as

tive : “ If I am not for myself , who will

This wasn ’ t giving evidence .

ing hours on form and certificate fill-

Hunt — who early on stated he was

did 25 % of the honorary NSW medical

be for me ? If I am only for myself , what

She went on to say this had nothing

ing and a Medicare schedule that

going to be the ‘ Minister for GPs ’ — has

consultants in 1984 .

am I ?”