Australian Doctor Australian Doctor 15th September 2017

AUSTRALIA’S LEADING INDEPENDENT MEDICAL PUBLICATION I www.australiandoctor.com.au
GP REGISTRAR
TRAINING WOES
HAEMOPHILUS influenzae
b (Hib) has effectively been
banished by infant vaccination,
but other H. influenzae strains
are still causing child deaths
and disability, infectious
diseases experts say.
Rates of H. influenzae
infection declined dramatically
after Hib vaccination against
type b disease was introduced
in the 1990s.
However, there have been
five deaths and 12 cases
of H. influenzae infection
with significant morbidity in
a decade in Queensland, a
review shows. Most of the 143
cases managed in the state’s
hospitals from 2002-2011 were
caused by non-B serotypes,
while half were caused by non-
typeable H. influenzae (NTHi).
There were 23 cases of Hib
infection among whom only six
children had received all four
doses of the conjugate vaccine.
Pneumonia, meningitis and
invasive bacteraemia were
the most common diagnoses
and Aboriginal children were
particularly susceptible to
the infection, accounting for
almost one in four cases, said
researchers from Lady Cilento
Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.
“Ongoing episodes of
disease caused by Hib highlight
the continuing importance of
ensuring adequate vaccine
coverage in the paediatric
population,” they wrote.
Professor Peter McIntyre,
from the National Centre
We’ve already given away
$13,000. Don’t miss out on
your chance to win!
See page 33 for details
Multiple myeloma
Earn CPD
points online
The really good GP
Praise for GP who created specialist fee website
RACHEL WORSLEY
A GP’s revolutionary website list-
ing the fees charged by thousands of
specialists across Australia has been
dubbed a “breakthrough” in the
fight for greater transparency over
patient costs.
Since October last year, Dr Rich-
ard Zhu, from the City West Medical
Centre in Sydney, has been quietly
ringing specialist clinics between
patient consults to find out if they
bulk-bill, as well as asking what they
charge for initial consultations.
In what is seen as an Australian
first, he has published the informa-
tion on a website, SeekMedi.com,
allowing GPs and patients to search
for the initial consult fees of individ-
ual specialists before making a refer-
‘My primary
consideration is
to benefit patients
and GPs.’
— Dr Richard Zhu
Sydney GP
ral. Searches allow users to track the
cheapest or most expensive doctor
within individual specialties, ranging
from endocrinology to surgery.
The search results show intitial
consult fees for neurosurgeons rang-
ing from $220-$800.
Dr Zhu has defended not asking
specialists for their permission to list
the fees on the SeekMedi website,
saying “the public have the right to
know”.
“I don’t want to name or shame
anyone. My primary consideration
is to benefit patients, GPs and the
general public, and I do hope patient
fees go down as a result of the web-
site.”
He added: “The best way doctors
can help me is to ask patients to take
a photo of the receipt from that spe-
cialist with their consultation and
procedural fees and send it to me,”
says Dr Zhu. “This is information
for me to replenish this website.”
There has been a heated political
debate over specialist fee transpar-
ency in recent months, with com-
plaints voiced by politicians and
patient groups.
Last week, the AMA gave a cau-
tious welcome to the system, but
warned that it might encourage spe-
cialists to raise their fees in line with
their peers rather than reduce them.
However, the Consumers Health
Forum said Dr Zhu’s work was a
major “breakthrough”.
“What he has achieved by himself
cont’d page 6
JOCELYN WRIGHT
WIN $1000
HOW TO TREAT
Procedural skills
shortage
Editorial, page 34
Hib is
history,
but beware
FINAL FEW
CHANCES TO
15 SEPTEMBER 2017
Former midwife Lisa Barrett
leaves court on bail in
Adelaide, SA. Ms Barrett
has been charged with
manslaughter over the
deaths of two babies.
CARE ON TRIAL
Why are ‘medical’
manslaughter cases
so rare?
News Review,
page 13
cont’d page 6
Delivered in
the Respimat
Soft Mist Inhaler
1,2
®
TM
1,2
Before prescribing, please review PBS and Product Information in primary advertisement.
References: 1. SPIRIVA Respimat approved Product Information (13 September 2016). 2. SPIOLTO Respimat approved Product Information (10 June 2015).
TM
Trademark. ® Registered Trademark. Boehringer Ingelheim Pty Ltd. ABN 52 000 452 308. 78 Waterloo Road, North Ryde, NSW 2113.
AUS/SPRES-171036e. McCann Health 10788171. June 2017.
Print Post Approved PP100007880
10788171 Respimat_AusDoc_Banner Ad_260x60_A1_C1_FA.indd 1
6/8/17 2:25 PM