LEGISLATION WON’T STOP A REPEAT OF DR REEVES SCANDAL
Wednesday 7 May 2008
REBA MEAGHER INCOMPETENCE: DR REEVES SCANDAL
Health Minister Reba Meagher has proven her gross incompetence and has let patients down yet again by failing to require that hospitals undertake a compulsory medical background check before employing doctors, Andrew Constance Member for Bega said today.
Andrew Constance Member for Bega
“The Bill that Ms Meagher introduced to Parliament today will not stop a repeat of the Dr Reeves scandal as there is no mandatory requirement on employers to check the credentials of the doctor being interviewed,” Mr Constance said.
“Dr Reeves was able to continue practicing because the NSW Government, his employer, failed to check his medical background,” he said.
The Bill introduced by Health Minister Reba Meagher does not close this loophole.While the legislation strengthens the role of the Medical Board and the Health Care Complaints Commission in determining that doctors are flawed and should be de-registered, there is no obligation on the part of employers to check their background.
Had NSW Health checked Dr Reeves’ medical background records, it would have discovered that he was barred from practicing as an obstetrician.
“The aim should be to protect patients, but Reba Meagher has stuffed it up yet again.
“The failure of Reba Meagher to close this loophole shows she simply doesn’t understand where her Health Department went wrong in the Dr Reeves case.
“Ms Meagher has refused to answer questions as to how Dr Reeves was employed at Bega and Pambula Hospitals and she has tried to blame everyone but herself for this tragedy when a simple check by her Health Department could have spared the South East community this trauma.
“Patients would expect that when a doctor is employed by their local Area Health Service, that the Health Department does a medical background check.
“This did not take place when Dr Reeves was employed, and it is still not compulsory for anyone to make this vital check.
“Health Minister Reba Meagher needs to wake up and close this loophole and accept some responsibility for the scandal that prompted the introduction of this legislation,” Mr Constance said.
