The Doctors Reform Society today condemned the Federal Minister for Health, Dr Michael Wooldridge and the Coalition Government for proposing to give wealthy specialist doctors a $10 million handout of public funds.

" This $10 million handout to specialist doctors will not end gap payments because not only do many doctors charge more than 125% of the schedule fee but there is a severe shortage of specialist doctors" said Dr Con Costa, President of the Doctors Reform Society.

" What is really needed is a Minister of Health with the "ticker" to take on the AMA and the specialist medical colleges and force them to train more specialist doctors. The reason the specialists can charge these excessive gap fees is that they have created a deliberate shortage of specialist doctors by restricting specialist training positions. The problem in many areas of Australia is not the gap fee but having access to any specialist doctor" said Dr Costa.

" This is one more example of this Government taking tax-payer’s money from the public system and giving it to the private" said Dr Costa.

written and seconded by Robert Marr & Con Costa
5 September 1998