If I have a patient couple and the wife works for APHRA and the husband calls my secretaries extremely rude offensive names, what do you reckon I should do?
The patient should be warned that such behaviour is totally inappropriate and will not be tolerated at your practice. You have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace for your staff. If the conduct continues then you will disengage from that patient. In a private practice setting you have no obligation to see the patient unless in a life threatening emergency. Should you disengage ensure it is conducted in line with the requirements of the Good Medical Practice code of conduct at 3.13 Ending a professional relationship. The fact that the patient wife works for AHPRA is irrelevant to the situation.
Does sexual impropriety with a colleague come under the gambit of mandatory reporting?
Assuming that your colleague is not a patient then it is not a mandatory report. However, your employer may have concerns if there are any related issues raised in the workplace
Why can't we complain about patients that mistreat us?
The comments made in relation to Q 1 . equally apply to this point. Some practices have stated policies on display in waiting rooms outlining behavioural requirements of patients and that inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated.
I had a series of complaints - all about (not) prescribing opiate analgesics. At the 6th complaint, the Health Services Commissioner advised me that the 6th complaint had been received, and the Office acknowledged that my prescribing was 'appropriate'.
State based complaint authorities tend to more consumer orientated and may not recognise the clinical aspects or type of patient that the more formal healthcare regulators might. This can be frustrating for clinicians. The issue of opiate prescribing is currently a major health concerns in Australia. However, not prescribing tends to describe there was a lack of thearaputic need, drug seeking or doctor shopping, so a job well done it would seem.
A patient complained to the Medical Centre manager that there was no parking and the rain made him catch a cold. AHPRA was stern in pointing out that this complaint needed to be taken seriously
Whilst all complaints need to be considered such a comment is surprising as the function of AHPRA is to investigate concerns about practitioner’s performance, conduct or health. The allegation made by the patient here is a long bow. That said MIPS does note some inconsistency of approach between the various Board jurisdictions.
Why don't the investigative bodies have responsibility to the doctor to protect them from vexatious claims by screening claims prior to full investigation. It would save taxpayers money and a lot of heartache for doctors
AHPRA conducted research on the issue of vexatious complaints and reported on this in April 2018. In summary, they concluded there is more risk from people not reporting concerns than from making dubious complaints. It also found that while being on the receiving end of a complaint is tough – the complaint is much more likely to be vexing than vexatious. AHPRA initiated the work in line with its commitment to the Senate Affairs Reference Committee inquiry into the medical complaints process in Australia. The report found that the number of vexatious complaints dealt with in Australia and internationally is very small, less than one percent, but they have a big effect on everyone involved. The research also confirms that the risk of someone not reporting their concerns is greater than if the complaint turns out to be vexatious. The report will be used to inform best practice for reducing, identifying, and managing vexatious complaints and helps to identify opportunities to work with others to help reduce their frequency and adverse consequences.