Doctors are gagged over cuts: ama

CATHY O'LEARY MEDICAL EDITORThe West Australian Senior doctors in public hospitals are being gagged by threats of severe penalties if they speak out about cutbacks to front-line

health services because of budget restraints, according to WA's peak doctors' group. Australian Medical Association WA president Gary Geelhoed said he was disturbed by several

reports of senior staff being warned against making comments, following the leaking of numerous internal documents in recent weeks detailing looming job losses and cuts to services.

"It's very demoralising and it's starting to get a bit ugly in the sense that we've had reports of verbal intimidation and threats to staff about speaking out," he

said. "We understand that senior staff who have made statements about the impact on front-line services in their particular areas have been told by their managers that they

shouldn't speak out, and that a literal interpretation of the law refers to possible jail sentences. "While jail might be an unlikely outcome, the threat is there without it being

put in writing and we're not talking about one isolated incident." Professor Geelhoed said some doctors were being asked to attend "please explain" meetings with

heavy-handed messages that they were "breaching rules". But Health Minister Kim Hames said he was not aware of claims that staff were being intimidated. "Understandably, some

people may be unhappy, but there are appropriate channels for them to voice their concerns," he said. The claims come as the latest leaked document reveals Sir Charles Gaird ner

Hospital has been cancelling operating theatre sessions on most days in recent weeks, a measure which the hospital blames on a lack of theatre nurses rather than budget cuts. While the

hospital yesterday disputed details in the document claiming as many as 18 theatre sessions had been cancelled in some weeks, it said four to five a week had been called off and more were

expected. "The hospital is experiencing a shortage in specialist theatre nurses. In the interests of patient safety we have cancelled some theatre sessions to ensure that all

functioning theatres are appropriately staffed," a spokeswoman said. GET THE LATEST NEWS FROM THEWEST.COM.AU IN YOUR INBOX. Sign up for our emails