Govt turns to Midland MSI
After years of stalling followed by failed negotiations for a standalone contraception and termination clinic at the new Midland Public Hospital site, the State Government has announced what Medical Forum was told in not so many words by the then Director General of Health Kim Snowball back in June 2012. Marie Stopes International (MSI) will pick up some of those procedures that the Midland hospital, under the management of St John of Health Care, will not. Mr Snowball told us then that SJGHC made it clear it would not provide those services: “We didn’t think that made them ineligible because there were other providers who could deliver those services in the Midland area.” Last month Health Minister Hames announced that the Government would give MSI $1.2m to upgrade its facilities and $500,000 a year to conducted procedures for public patients. Where public patients with more complex, immediate gynaecological conditions will go is a subject of questions on notice for the Minister.
Leaner MDAN board?
MDA National will be holding its delayed AGM on March 19 at its Perth offices. Since the resignation of Prof Julian Rait and Mr John Trowbridge after the merger with MIGA failed to win member support, the MDAN board has been meeting with 10 members rather than its maximum 12. Another three vacancies are up for re-election at the AGM. In the Constitution the board must have a minimum of eight and a maximum of 12 directors. The mutual has announced it will only seek to fill three vacancies in March and to evaluate the skills and cost performance of a leaner 10-director board until its regular AGM in November when a proposal to change the constitution may be made. Acting chair Dr Rod Moore (WA) and Dr David Gilpin (QLD) are seeking re-election and Dr Reg Bullen (WA) will retire. Also nominating are Dr Keith Woollard (WA), Dr Patrick Mahar (Vic), Dr Paul Nisselle (Vic) and Dr Aniello Iannuzzi (NSW). The election is being conducted by the WA Elector Commission. After the AGM, the chair will be elected by the new board.
Food labelling not rocket science
Last month’s national Hepatitis A outbreak sparked the reintroduction of a food labelling Bill in Federal Parliament that would make clear the country of origin of the produce within. Consumer group Choice and Australia Made Campaign both said it was time the country tightened its food labelling laws so consumers were clear where their food is grown, manufactured and processed. But what’s needed is less grandstanding and more action. A joint inquiry into food labelling by both houses of parliament was conducted last year. What consumers want is the truth on food packaging. Stop the meaningless marketing ploys and tell us if the food we’re buying is grown in Australia or not. [see P22]
ACCC on MA’s tail
The ACCC has given some slack to Medicines Australia while maintaining a firm stand on its transparency demands in its negotiations to endorse MA’s Edition 18 Code of Conduct. Last month the ACCC opted for a $120 cap on meals per person at Pharma events. In making its decision, ACCC went against concerns raised by RACGP and consumer groups but ACCC said its proposed new transparency reporting regime would capture the majority of interactions, including the provision of food and beverages. Approval of the 18th code is still conditional on MA agreeing to implement reporting requirements to ensure all relevant transfers of value between pharmaceutical companies and doctors are reported on an individual basis [see, ACCC and Pharma Transparency, February]. Earlier in the month, MA told the ACCC its transparency demands were “tantamount to redrafting the code and engaging in regulatory over-reach” and threatened that some member companies might withdraw from the authorisation application altogether. The ACCC will make a final decision on the draft code in April.
OTA’s magic show
The 2014 performance report from the Organ and Tissue Authority is a bit like a magic show … creating something from thin air. Last year there were more organs transplanted nationally [1% higher than 2013] from fewer deceased donors [378, 3% lower], which just goes to show the skills in the field have got sharper and smarter. While the DonateLife Network can claim a 53% increase in organ donor outcome since it began in 2009, the figures come from a low base. Of the 74,400 deaths in hospitals last year, 700 potential donors were identified; 680 donation requests were made; 415 consented and 378 actual donors. The WA figures were disappointing with a decline in donation rates from 18.7 donors per million population (dpmp) to 13.6 dpmp. The Australian Paired Kidney Exchange (AKX), which began in 2010 and operates from three sites in WA, is ticking over. Last year 38 live donor kidneys were transplanted nationally.