KIM BOOTH, Greens, Bass, www.tas.greens.org.au
Bridport Clinic Now Closed as a Result
The Tasmanian Greens today again called on Health Minister Lara Giddings to intervene and assist Dr Paul McGinity in locating a locum following the revelation that Dr McGinity has now been reduced to working just three hours a day due to the conditions imposed upon him by the Medical Council of Tasmania.
Greens Member for Bass, Kim Booth MP, said the Medical Council is risking the health and safety of 3000 people in North East Tasmania by imposing virtually impossible conditions upon their Doctor, and the Health Minister and her Department are the last avenue of assistance.
“The restrictive conditions placed on Dr McGinity mean he can only work three hours a day, a restriction that is putting his patients at risk – the Health Minister must intervene and, at the very least, provide a locum for Dr McGinity,” said Mr Booth.
“Dr McGinity has now closed his Bridport clinic as a result of being restricted to a three-hour working day.”
“The outrageous conditions imposed by the Medical Council are placing the health and safety of over 3000 Tasmanians at risk – they need to take steps to address and finalise this situation right now, or the Minister needs to step-in and investigate the entire affair.”
“You cannot tell me that the Health Minister cannot provide a government Doctor today to enable Dr McGinity to meet the now odious requirements of the Medical Council.”
“The people of North East Tasmania are becoming increasingly angry with the Medical Council’s actions, and the Health Minister’s lack of action, over Dr Paul McGinity. I am again calling on Minister Giddings to intervene and assist Dr McGinity and his patients,” said Mr Booth.
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Libs…
Minister must expedite McGinity suspension farce
The Health Minister must contact the Medical Council of Tasmania to discuss how the investigation into Scottsdale doctor Paul McGinity can be expedited
Now that Dr McGinity can only practise for 18 hours a week with a locum on the end of the phone, the 3000 patients that relied on him are not getting the health care they deserve
It is in everyone’s interests that the matter is resolved quickly
The State Opposition has called on the Minister for Health, Lara Giddings, to immediately contact the Medical Council of Tasmania to discuss the provision of extra resources to allow the investigation into Scottsdale doctor Paul McGinity to be resolved as soon as possible.
Dr McGinity is now allowed to practise for only 42 hours a week supervised or 18 hours a week if a locum is available on the end of the phone.
In the absence of a locum, Dr McGinity is now back to three hours per day, 6 days per week.
It has now been some 15 weeks since Dr McGinity was originally suspended as a result of a complaint by four medical practitioners. He was then reinstated on appeal, only to be suspended again after 23 more complaints were lodged.
Only four of these complaints have been investigated, leaving 11 to be investigated, and many of the remaining complaints could, according to Dr McGinity, be investigated in five minutes.
Now that Dr McGinity can only practice for 18 hours a week with a locum on the end of the phone, the 3000 patients that relied on Dr McGinity are clearly not getting the health care they deserve.
The Minister must contact the Medical Council and offer to provide extra resources to allow this matter to be expedited.
It is clear that the North-East community feels very strongly about this issue and it is in everyone’s interests that it is resolved quickly.
