Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Health Minister Simeon Brown’s decision to remove and replace Medical Council leadership sets a dangerous precedent around political interference with independent regulators, says the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS).
The Minister has reportedly declined the Medical Council’s recommendation to reappoint Dr Rachelle Love as chair and Simon Watt as deputy-chair.
“The minister’s decision is an unprecedented hit job,” says ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton. “He appears to have ousted them because he didn’t like the council talking about cultural competency for doctors.”
“Cultural competency is rooted in patient safety and treating people with respect. This is core Medical Council business. Suggesting to doctors that it isn’t important is a direct attempt by a politician to intervene in clinical standards.”
ASMS is also deeply concerned by proposed changes to the Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act, which would allow ministers to direct independent regulators to implement government policy.
“This approach could leave us in a situation where medical standards chop and change with every new Government,” Dalton warns.
“It also sends a worrying signal to other regulators: if you don’t do what the Minister wants, your people will be replaced.”
ASMS maintains that medical regulation must be non-partisan and accountable to patients first, not politicians.
“Rather than attacking an independent health regulator, the Minister’s time would be better spent fixing our medical workforce shortages and retaining doctors who are leaving for Australia,” Dalton says.