Media Releases

“We have an emerging threat. We have a worried population. General practices are at the forefront of the response,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “But we hear little to support them, either from the Federal or State Governments.”

“The WA Health Minister was reported as saying (West Australian, 5 March) that it was inappropriate that GPs were ‘rejecting’ patients who were concerned about COVID-19 and directing them to an Emergency Department”, said Dr Woodruff. “The Minister’s words sadly reflect a complete misunderstanding of first response carers in emergencies. Every surf life saver, paramedic, and emergency service worker knows that in an emergency, safety of the emergency responder is the first priority. What use is an electrocuted SES volunteer or a drowned surf life saver? What use is a GP who assesses a patient one day and dies a week later, having exposed his/her staff and family members to a potentially fatal infection?”

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“Suggestions that video consultations with GPs may soon be funded is just a start to what is needed to address the Covid-19 outbreak” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.

“GPs and their staff will be the mainstay of limiting the spread and sorting out the huge flood of patients seeking advice and medical help as the crisis evolves”, said Dr Woodruff. “Hospitals will indeed be central for those who are sick, but to prevent hospitals being completely overwhelmed we need general practices to be funded and resourced to cope.” Read more

“We note with deep concern that the Federal Government has announced it is starting the privatisation process of the Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT)” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “This taxpayer funded and government run scheme which assesses what help our older Australians need, whether it be help in the home, or a move to supported accommodation. It has done this with the full knowledge that its own Royal Commission into Aged Care is deeply concerned about the appropriateness of market forces to deliver care to those needing Aged Care. It is planning a full report with funding recommendations by November 2020.” Read more

“The announcement by the Federal Government that the average private health insurance (PHI) premium will be only 3% this year means a gift of another $180 million in taxpayers’ money to the industry via the PHI rebate. This is despite clear evidence that it is grossly inefficient and offers a lousy product which is increasingly unattractive to the public,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.

“Added to that is the fact that it offers choice at taxpayer expense only to those who can afford the premiums. That means that most Australians miss out”.

“Instead, the money supports those who can afford the premiums to queue jump public hospital waiting lists.  The government could try doing something for all Australians like supporting Australia’s existing, effective and efficient public insurance scheme called Medicare”.

Dr Woodruff asks “How good is that?”

“Today’s report of the squabble between State Governments and private health insurance companies over charges for privately insured patients who use public hospital beds leaves public patients at risk”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “While they fight about money, privately insured patients take up bed in public hospitals. Meanwhile my patients wait six to eighteen months and sometimes more just to get into such public hospital beds. At the same time Emergency Departments struggle to find a bed for patients requiring admission. How fair is that?”

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The Private Health Insurance industry has suggested that the Federal Government should give more money to support a profit driven inefficient private health industry. Dr Tim Woodruff, President of the Doctors Reform Society asks “Why not just support the public health system better rather than giving tax rebates for employers to give private health insurance to employees?” Read more

All Australians who have ever benefited from a Medicare rebate should today recognise that without Bob Hawke, they could well be struggling to afford simple basic medical treatment, said Dr Tim Woodruff, president, Doctors Reform Society.

He brought back our public health insurance scheme originally introduced by Gough Whitlam’s Government and subsequently repealed by Malcolm Fraser’s Government. Hawke then entrenched it in the Australian psyche such that those who dare to threaten Medicare dare to lose the Australian electorate. Read more

Reports today that cancer doctors say Labor’s cancer plan won’t work to eliminate costs of treatment reveal both the problem of the very high fees charged by some specialists and the lack of thinking behind Labor’s policy, said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.

Some private cancer doctors are saying they will not guarantee bulk billing of cancer patients whatever the rebate, and others are saying that they value their own autonomy and independence which is code for saying patients’ financial distress plays second fiddle to their desire to charge what they like. This is the sad dark side of this issue. Read more