Claims tarnish doctors

Bid to have only adverse findings recorded on medical registration details

A GEELONG doctor is campaigning to overturn a decision by the industry’s regulatory body to publicly link all disciplinary and court decisions to worker’s registration details.

The new Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority policy includes publishing details of cases where “no adverse finding” is made against an individual.

But Radiology Registrar Dr Steel Scott is concerned allegations of misconduct will be given more weight than the finding. A change.org petition he created in opposition to the new rule has gained more than 14,800 signatures of support in a month.

“The medical community has no issue with adverse findings being (listed against the doctor’s name) as that is in the best interest of the patient,” Dr Scott said.

“But we feel it’s going a bit too far to link results where the professional has been found to be innocent of accusations and don’t know of any profession that faces the same scrutiny.”

Until now, only adverse findings of disciplinary cases with the Medical Board of Australia or AHPRA were linked to the practitioners register.

Medical defence organisation Avant described the new policy to include details regardless of the outcome as “unfair and punitive” and said it was concerned the publi- cation of cases where no wrongdoing has been found will be “misinterpreted and misunderstood”.

Dr Scott — who has never been involved in a court or tribunal hearing — agrees.

“There are doctors that have to face malicious complaints and it’s very stressful,” he said. “When a doctor is found innocent I don’t see how it could have any effect on patient care other than there being the potential for patients not to visit that doctor or de- clare them guilty in their own minds.”

The change came into affect in March, beginning with links to disciplinary decisions that have been made since February 2017. In time all cases since 2010 will be documented.

A spokesperson for the Medical Board of Australia said “the register notes when no adverse finding is made against a medical practitioner” adding the change will allow patients to make “informed decisions about their care”.

“Good medical practice is a partnership between doctors and their patients, based on trust,” the spokesperson said.

“Linking the public register of practitioners to published disciplinary decisions and court hearings is one of the recommendations made by Professor Ron Paterson in the chaperone review report.

“It is one of many changes the Board and AHPRA have made to their handling of sexual misconduct and other serious allegations.”