As if the Victorian Government doesn’t have enough on its hands at the moment with some demarcation issues, the recent Health Complaints Act heralds an effective abolition of the right to practice a total of seventeen natural health therapies.
This must be one of the most discriminatory Acts since the Middle Ages.
What is happening to sensible, patient-centric discussion?
Why are decision-making bodies stacked so heavily in favour of the desired outcome?
How did this legislation get under the radar so easily?
A state-based Complaints Commissioner will be appointed by mainstream medical lobby groups and they will have a happy time pursuing practitioners who are merely helping their patients retain or restore some quality-of-life in areas where medication isn’t the only answer.
I’ve never had much time for the quality of our politicians, but many are reasonable people, and I don’t think they have really thought this through at all.
It find it quite incredible that when asked directly if they visit a complementary health practitioner, or if they use a regular complementary nutritional supplement, the majority admit that they do!
Just to add fuel to the fire, the restriction of private health insurance “to ensure that private health insurance covers clinically proven treatments” shows the NHMRC to be an Interest-group driven group, intent on disallowing Australians to become empowered in their own health.
It will be interesting to see how those particular Australian citizens react – in my view, it won’t affect their willingness to get quality, meaningful and holistic treatments no matter how Governments try and restrict them.
Natural medicine practitioners are used to being attacked by the system.
It makes great news in the popular press.
Interestingly, you have to read the medical press to follow the number of medical unprofessional incidents occurring often, but never making it into the public arena.
Compare this fact: In Victoria, no peer review applies, unlike the mainstream medical community regime of governance which has a minimum of eight peer group practitioners involved, before prohibition can take place under AHPRA legislation.
Therefore, the Health Complaints Commissioner’s sole opinion will apply.
This new law sadly heralds an effective abolition of the legal right to practice seventeen natural therapy professions.
Interesting and challenging times will now remodel sensible health discussions.
To where will this lead?
I wonder if pharmacists have the courage to have an opinion, or will they fall in behind the bias?
“It’s unreasonable to expect medical doctors and pharmaceutical companies to tell you how to avoid their services by trying the alternatives”