# 501
Thursday 17 November 2009
IN THIS ISSUE
- Competence Assessments for Doctors – NZMA Response
- New Member Benefit – Hotel Club
- NZMA Northland Event
NEWS
Competence Checks for Doctors – NZMA Response
Departing Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson will undertake a study for the Law Commission to investigate whether the medical profession needs to be more tightly regulated to assure the public they are being treated by a ‘good doctor.’ Mr Paterson said that despite more open reporting by doctors in the past decade, there is still no easy way for the public to be confident about a doctor’s competence. He said a doctor was not assessed for competence unless a specific concern was raised by a patient or collegue. NZMA Chair Dr Peter Foley, quoted in the Dominion Post, said he was cautiously supportive of the research, provided that doctors were not swamped by new regulations. “Overall, we are not in favour of making life harder with more regulation, but the public needs to be protected.” Dr Foley said that Mr Paterson was respected and trusted by most doctors and he anticipated that he would make sensible recommendations.
Mr Paterson will begin his research in May next year, when he steps down as commissioner. His research will be published as a book in 2011, which he hoped would inform future debate and policy.
NEW MEMBER BENEFIT - HotelClub
Just in time for the Christmas holidays - NZMA members receive up to 12% discount on the already reduced prices that are available online at HotelClub. HotelClub is a global online accommodation reservation service, providing NZMA members access to over 48,000 hotels in over 126 countries. To access this discount, members must visit the members only section of the NZMA website at http://www.nzma.org.nz/membersonly/benefits.html
If you don’t know your login details for the NZMA website please contact Susan Page at susanp@nzma.org.nz or phone 0800 656 161.
NZMA Northland Event
The NZMA held a very successful function in Whangarei on Monday evening. In attendance were hospital and community specialists, including GPs, RMOs and local PHO representatives and members from neighbouring Dargaville. NZMA Chair Dr Peter Foley, who was the guest speaker at the function, siad it has been an enjoyable collegial gathering that will be repeated in future. Dr Foley spoke on the wide ranging advocacy of the NZMA as our health system again responds to the many challenges facing us all. Some of the core issues he covered were: workforce, the DHB environment, laboratory changes for some patients, specialist prescription fees and student-RMO-DITC professional continuum.
NZMA ACTIVITIES
· NZMA Chair Dr Peter Foley, DITC Chair Dr Brandon Adams and NZMA CEO Mr Cameron McIver will meet with Professor Des Gorman, Chair of Health Workforce NZ on Monday.
· Dr Foley delivered a presentation at an NZMA Whangarei function on Monday. Read more about this under News above.
EVENTS
New Zealand Bioethics Conference ‘Ethics After Harm’
29-31 January 2010, Salmond College, Dunedin
Endorsed by RNZCCGP for up to 15 hours (=15 credits) CME for General Practice
Education programme Stage 2 (formerly AVE) and Maintenance of Professional
Standards (MOPS)
For more information:
www.otago.ac.nz/nzbioethicsconference
HDC Medical-Legal Seminar
The Health and Disability Commissioner’s office invites you to a seminar Reflections on a Decade of Change – 24 March 2010 in Wellington – to hear from some of New Zealand’s medico-legal experts reflecting on health law in the last decade. This will also be an opportunity to farewell the current Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson. Speakers will include Otago University Professor Peter Skegg, Auckland University Associate Professor Joanna Manning, Auckland University Professor Alan Merry, Counties Manukau Quality Director Dr Mary Seddon, Chapman Tripp partner Adam Ross and Commissioner Ron Paterson. Further details will be provided in the new year.
Symposium on Physical Activity and Obesity
An International Research Symposium on physical activity, health and obesity will be taking place at the School of Physical Education, University of Otago 1-3 February 2010. The Symposium is entitled “The Big Fat Truth: What are we ‘weighting’ for? It’s Time to Move!” The Symposiyum aims to stimulate discussion amongst health professionals, researchers, educator and the general public about local and global issues in relation to physical activity and obesity. Six scholars from the academic disciplines of epidemiology, physiology, medicine, psychology, law and sociology will be speaking at the Symposium.
For more information on the Symposium, including bios of the key note presenters, their presentations and workshops and registration information then please visit www.otago.ac.nz/thebigfattruth2010
Rural Network Conference 2010
The New Zealand Rural General Practice Network Conference will be held in Christchurch next year at the city’s Convention Centre 11-14 March. It’s worth noting that the weekend of the conference coincides with the Ellerslie Flower Show in the garden city on March 10-14. People wanting to register interest to present abstracts or wanting more information about abstracts should email Helen Shrewsbury at Conference Innovators: helen@conference.co.nz Anyone interested in sponsoring the conference or hosting an exhibition stand should contact the Network’s communications manager Rob Olsen either by phone 04 495 5887 or by email: rob@rgpn.org.nz
Conference details such as workshops, presentations and general information will be posted on the Network’s and Conference Innovators’ websites during the next month.
MEMBER BENEFIT
Medical Assurance Society KiwiSaver Plan
The Medical Assurance Society (MAS) KiwiSaver Plan makes it easy to save for retirement. There are no set-up, entry or contribution fees and no administration fee – just one annual management fee of 1% of your funds (minimum $50). There are also seven investment options to choose from. Plus, the MAS KiwiSaver Plan is available to everyone, not just MAS Members. To apply, please visit www.medicals.co.nz and look under the ‘Product and Services’ section. MAS is working closely with the NZMA to provide advice on KiwiSaver. For further information, NZMA members can call 0800 800 MAS (627) or email: kiwisaver@medicals.co.nz
MEMBER ADVISORY
Email & Internet Workplace Policies
The internet and email opens your business up to a whole new world of communication and information. But it also opens your business up to potential problems. Your computer network can be vulnerable to viruses and corruption and your staff can abuse the technology available to them. Email and internet policies are an important part of managing your employees. Your staff need to know what is acceptable practice in your organisation. We have a resource available which has several sample policies that can be adapted to suit your practice. Download this from our website at http://www.nzma.org.nz/membersonly/advisory-service.html or email Debbie Papera (debbie@nzma.org.nz) for a copy
Vital Signs is a weekly email bulletin with news and information about the NZMA. It aims to keep members in touch with the NZMA’s work, and complement the NZMA newsletter Medspeak and website. If you do not wish to receive Vital Signs, please reply with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.
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