DRS president Dr Peter Davoren this morning welcomed the plan of Queensland Health Minister Wendy Edmond to import overseas specialists to increase staffing in Queensland's public hospitals. Dr Davoren said that to this day Queensland had not and still is not training enough specialists to meet the needs of the public hospital system and a short term solution such as overseas recruiting will help.

" For this policy to be properly successful Ms Edmond should find enough surgeons and other specialists to adequately staff our public hospitals and ensure sufficient specialist are trained in the future to meet our needs" said Dr Davoren.

" The Doctors Reform Society calls on the Royal Colleges to co-operate with this scheme to ensure that waiting lists in the most urgent area of need are reduced." he said.

"To be truly successful Ms Edmond should put up sufficient funds to allow for:

· at least 100 new full-time specialists in Queensland hospitals

· sufficient junior medical, nursing and allied health staff to support the specialists

· adequate equipment, operating room time and out-patient facilities

· increased numbers of training registrars in all specialities, but especially those with the greatest shortages.

For further information:
Dr Peter Davoren
President
Doctors' Reform Society
2 Apr 2001

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