Media Release
13 September, 2005
SURGICAL COLLEGE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMBINE TO MAINTAIN SHORTAGE OF SURGEONS
“Efforts by the NSW and Victorian Governments to increase the number of surgeons are being thwarted by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and by the Federal Government,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society
“In public hospitals throughout Australia there are doctors who want to be surgeons who are employed by the hospital to work as junior surgeons (surgical registrars), supervised directly by trained surgeons,” said Dr Woodruff. “But the College refuses to allow these doctors entry into their restricted training program, despite the fact that they do the same work as trainee surgeons, and must be supervised by trained surgeons. The College’s claim that they cannot supervise their training properly appears to be a cover for maintaining its well recognised closed shop.”
“The Federal Government’s contribution to this surgeon shortage is through the private health insurance rebate which has vastly expanded the amount of work being done in private hospitals, leading directly to surgeon shortages in the public system and to decreased opportunity for surgeons to supervise trainees.”
Dr Tim Woodruff
President
Doctors Reform Society
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Dr Con Costa
Vice President
Doctors Reform Society
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For further information please contact the Doctors Reform Society during business hours
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