❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding WorkCover's practices, specifically concerning medical panels, union consultation, and committee structures. The Minister provides some answers and clarifications, promising further information on doctor availability records.
AnsweredQoN 1919Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
With reference to an article in the
Sunday Times
of April 4 2004, written by Mr John Flint concerning WorkCover, would the Minister please advise -
(1) Which specific unions did the Minister consult who allegedly appear to have been ‘supportive’ of doctors ‘who had been used 10 times over a period of a year or so’?
(2) How were these unions able to access the competence of these doctors to resolve disputes of a medical nature?
(3) Does WorkCover keep records of those doctors who were allegedly ‘unavailable’
when they were asked to serve on Panels?
(4) If so, can these records be made available for the years 2000 to 2003?
(5) What is the remuneration to the Chairman of WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee for his time spent sitting on the Committee and for work conducted on behalf of the Committee?
(6) Does the Chairman of WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee have any administrative responsibility for ensuring that Medical Panels are properly constituted and that they discharge their functions in a fair and proper manner?
(7) Does the Chairman of WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee sit on Medical Panels?
(8) If so, how many medical panels has he sat on between the years 2000 to 2003?
(9) On how many of these panels has he been the Chairman?
(10) Is the Chairman remunerated on the same basis as other panel members?
(11) Will the Minister’s ‘independent expert medical committee’ exclude those doctors who regularly serve on WorkCover’s medical panels?
(12) Will the medical committee be independent of WorkCover?
Sunday Times
of April 4 2004, written by Mr John Flint concerning WorkCover, would the Minister please advise -
(1) Which specific unions did the Minister consult who allegedly appear to have been ‘supportive’ of doctors ‘who had been used 10 times over a period of a year or so’?
(2) How were these unions able to access the competence of these doctors to resolve disputes of a medical nature?
(3) Does WorkCover keep records of those doctors who were allegedly ‘unavailable’
when they were asked to serve on Panels?
(4) If so, can these records be made available for the years 2000 to 2003?
(5) What is the remuneration to the Chairman of WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee for his time spent sitting on the Committee and for work conducted on behalf of the Committee?
(6) Does the Chairman of WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee have any administrative responsibility for ensuring that Medical Panels are properly constituted and that they discharge their functions in a fair and proper manner?
(7) Does the Chairman of WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee sit on Medical Panels?
(8) If so, how many medical panels has he sat on between the years 2000 to 2003?
(9) On how many of these panels has he been the Chairman?
(10) Is the Chairman remunerated on the same basis as other panel members?
(11) Will the Minister’s ‘independent expert medical committee’ exclude those doctors who regularly serve on WorkCover’s medical panels?
(12) Will the medical committee be independent of WorkCover?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
1 June 2004
Responded by
Minister for Housing and Works representing the Minister for Consumer and Employment Protection
Response time
55 days
(2) Not applicable. (3) Yes. Workcover maintains an administrative notation on each worker’s file. (4) Yes. I will request WorkCover prepare a list and provide this to the Member. (5) There is no committee called WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee. Mr Brian Bradley is Chairman of the Medical and Allied Services Committee (MASC), if this is the committee that the question sought to refer to. Mr Bradley is the Director General of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and is not remunerated for his time spent sitting on the Committee and for work conducted on behalf of the Committee. (6) to (10) Not applicable. (11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(3) Yes. Workcover maintains an administrative notation on each worker’s file. (4) Yes. I will request WorkCover prepare a list and provide this to the Member. (5) There is no committee called WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee. Mr Brian Bradley is Chairman of the Medical and Allied Services Committee (MASC), if this is the committee that the question sought to refer to. Mr Bradley is the Director General of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and is not remunerated for his time spent sitting on the Committee and for work conducted on behalf of the Committee. (6) to (10) Not applicable. (11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(4) Yes. I will request WorkCover prepare a list and provide this to the Member. (5) There is no committee called WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee. Mr Brian Bradley is Chairman of the Medical and Allied Services Committee (MASC), if this is the committee that the question sought to refer to. Mr Bradley is the Director General of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and is not remunerated for his time spent sitting on the Committee and for work conducted on behalf of the Committee. (6) to (10) Not applicable. (11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(5) There is no committee called WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee. Mr Brian Bradley is Chairman of the Medical and Allied Services Committee (MASC), if this is the committee that the question sought to refer to. Mr Bradley is the Director General of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and is not remunerated for his time spent sitting on the Committee and for work conducted on behalf of the Committee. (6) to (10) Not applicable. (11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(6) to (10) Not applicable. (11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(3) Yes. Workcover maintains an administrative notation on each worker’s file. (4) Yes. I will request WorkCover prepare a list and provide this to the Member. (5) There is no committee called WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee. Mr Brian Bradley is Chairman of the Medical and Allied Services Committee (MASC), if this is the committee that the question sought to refer to. Mr Bradley is the Director General of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and is not remunerated for his time spent sitting on the Committee and for work conducted on behalf of the Committee. (6) to (10) Not applicable. (11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(4) Yes. I will request WorkCover prepare a list and provide this to the Member. (5) There is no committee called WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee. Mr Brian Bradley is Chairman of the Medical and Allied Services Committee (MASC), if this is the committee that the question sought to refer to. Mr Bradley is the Director General of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and is not remunerated for his time spent sitting on the Committee and for work conducted on behalf of the Committee. (6) to (10) Not applicable. (11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(5) There is no committee called WorkCover’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee. Mr Brian Bradley is Chairman of the Medical and Allied Services Committee (MASC), if this is the committee that the question sought to refer to. Mr Bradley is the Director General of the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection and is not remunerated for his time spent sitting on the Committee and for work conducted on behalf of the Committee. (6) to (10) Not applicable. (11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(6) to (10) Not applicable. (11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(11) The composition of the proposed Expert Medical Committee will be based on medical experts nominated by representative groups. (12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
(12) The Committee will be an advisory committee to the new WorkCover Board.
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