Doctors' Insurance Crisis: We Should All Be Very Afraid
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday April 25, 2002
John Howard's announcement on the Government's stance on United Medical Protection insurance (``Howard pulls plug on doctors' biggest insurer", Herald, April 24) should be creating great fears within us all.
The ramifications are ex-tremely frightening we could be facing a mass walkout in our public health system as well as seeing some of our best specialists unable to practise in their field any longer.
What is needed is the introduction of legislation that will cap medical insurance claims.
Samantha Stuart,
Balmain, April 24.
So yet another insurance company is about to fold, leaving doctors without malpractice insurance, and thus unable to practise. Crisis! Disaster!
I have a simple solution to all this. Doctors, keep on working as usual. Patients, don't sue your doctor. Simple. In fact, now that they have no insurance, you're not likely to get a big payout anyway, so why bother?
Now, everything keeps on running smoothly, and everyone's better off because there's no expensive malpractice insurance to pay and no time wasted in courts.
Caleb Fuller,
Willoughby, April 24.
I couldn't help but laugh when I read the headlines about our collapsing medical system. Why would anyone want to be a doctor in Australia? Yet I really don't see why the Government should bail us doctors out.
There are two options. We need to start managing our businesses better and concentrate more on income and cash flow. We should start charging our customers double or more. And make sure we order every test under the sun (as we don't want customers to sue us over any nasty mistakes).
The other alternative is to get out. That's what I'm doing. And I've never been happier.
Tony Tedesco,
Randwick, April 24.
It is a shame that John Howard does not have a brother or sister who is a doctor. Perhaps if he did we could expect some action on the medical indemnity crisis facing the community.
Dr A.P. Hellman,
Beecroft, April 24.
© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald