Scrubs Blog

NZMA position on euthanasia
The NZMA has fielded many media inquiries on the issue of euthanasia this week. Media interest has been in response to the public challenging by former North Shore GP, Dr John Pollock, who has terminal cancer and is advocating for legalised voluntary euthanasia in New Zealand. NZMA Chair Dr Peter Foley has conducted numerous interviews stating the NZMA’s position, which is in line with the World Medical Association and almost all international national medical associations, which opposes euthanasia* and doctor assisted suicide as unethical. The NZMA is not against individuals having a choice said Dr Foley on TV One’s Close Up programme. “What we are against, is then involving the doctor, in assisting the outcome of the choice.” In interviews, including in last night’s Close Up where Dr Foley appeared alongside Dr Pollock, he was able to emphasise to him the availability of effective palliative care to manage pain relief and alleviate suffering in end of life care. To read the NZMA’s position statement on euthanasia go to: http://www.nzma.org.nz/news/policies/euthanasia.html

We were in a foreign European city a few weeks ago and were involved in assisting in a medical emergency. The experience highlighted a key issue for me and one that we often take for granted in the workplace… the ability to communicate with patients and other health professionals!

Our patient was French and was travelling with a French friend, the security assistants at the site we were visiting spoke broken English, but were Dutch, as were the ambulance crew of course when they arrived. Another health professional on the scene was Spanish…..

Take your current level of income and multiply it by 70%. That’s what many people say they will need as a minimum to have a comfortable lifestyle in retirement. On top of that you will also need to allow for one off items such as replacing the family car every 5 years or so, as well as the occasional offshore adventure.

Healthier lifestyle choices and continual improvements in our medical care mean we are living longer, so our retirement provisioning will have to last a little longer than maybe it did for your parents

From the time the Tax Working Group released its long-awaited report on the design of the tax design, speculation has been rife on how the budget would fix a tax system which was widely regarded as “broken.”

Fundamentally for businesses, the enigma faced by government was how to balance the “big brother” comparisons with Australia, significant constraint through falling revenues and increasing expectations with the need to set businesses on the path to recovery.

New Zealand’s healthcare system has undergone significant changes in the last decade, some of which have lumbered primary healthcare providers with far greater administrative duties than before. The establishment of Primary Health Organisations and restructuring of ACC are classic examples.

Add increasingly complex healthcare regulations into the mix, and it’s clear that healthcare providers need a new level of practical business knowledge. Guess where that burden falls? That’s right – on the Practice Manager.

Many specialists will have received a letter recently from the 20 DHBs advising that the 1993 Section 88 Notice covering a range of specialist services was to be terminated in six months. The NZMA was not aware of the DHBs intentions, and we are interested in following up the issue. We are seeking feedback from members; if you received this letter, and you are concerned about its implications for your patients and/or your practice, please contact the CEO Cameron McIver cmciver@nzma.org.nz. Specific information about the effects of this policy change would be useful.