NSW: Neurosurgeon crippled by premiums, suspends practice
By Natasha Skrivankova
SYDNEY, April 30 AAP - A NSW neurosurgeon covered by troubled medical insurer UnitedMedical Protection (UMP) today began turning patients away, saying she might have to giveup her practice.
Neurosurgical Society of Australasia president Dr Marianne Vonau said she was afraidto operate after her cover was left in doubt following UMP's decision yesterday to applyto appoint a provisional liquidator.
"I'm really worried. I had to cancel rooms today because I'm not happy about seeingpatients because I'm not covered," said Dr Vonau.
"Patients are upset. It's a big thing to come into hospital and psych yourself up tocoming into surgery and then be told it won't happen. I don't like doing that."
Incredibly high premiums of about $100,000 a year were also making it increasinglydifficult for neurosurgeons to continue to practise, she said.
About 80 per cent of neurosurgeons in NSW had malpractice insurance with UMP, with90-95 per cent in Qld and 100 per cent in the ACT, she said.
"Neurosurgery is such a high-risk speciality that we're all concerned that somethingcould happen," said Dr Vonau.
She said the government should legislate to honour its promise to provide medical indemnityto doctors sued over the next couple of months.
However, she doubted whether even this would give doctors the confidence they neededto continue operating in the private sector.
"It's just this insecurity and, given that we are such a high-risk group and some ofour cases get high payouts, there's always the worry of our future - do we all go bankrupt?"
Dr Vonau said she and other NSW neurosurgeons were paying at least $10,000 a monthin premiums, making it very difficult to earn a living.
"We have the highest premiums in Australia - we're up there with obstetricians," she said.
Dr Vonau said a change in legislation earlier this year which meant the governmentcovered public patients did nothing to bring premiums down.
"We've been hanging on there paying these ridiculous amounts and a lot of us are struggling,"
she said.
AAP ns/nf/ldj/sb
KEYWORD: INDEMNITY NEURO (PIX AVAILABLE)
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