Page 3465 - Week 11 - Thursday, 15 November 2007
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Health––oral and maxillofacial surgery
MS GALLAGHER: Mr Stefaniak asked me a question in question time today about possible breaches of the Trade Practices Act. I have some further information on that question. The ACCC undertook a preliminary investigation into claims of alleged uncompetitive behaviour by surgeons at the Canberra Hospital. I understand ACT Health provided a significant amount of information to assist the ACCC in their inquiries. Further to this, the Chief Executive of ACT Health was interviewed by officers from the ACCC in April 2007. The ACCC subsequently advised the chief executive that it would be taking no further investigations or actions on these allegations.
Also, yesterday in question time Mr Seselja asked me about research into OMFS and whether there had been any Australian research done. As I understand it, the information provided to Mrs Burke was not based on ACT Health research. However, available evidence from a preliminary review of such cases at the Canberra Hospital indicates a complication rate of 3.6 per cent.
A search of Medline, the United States National Library of Medicine, on complication rates for treatments related to fractures of the jaw returned extracts of 21 articles relating to Australia, most of which were not relevant to the specific types of issues raised by Mr Seselja. Only one study gave complication rates for fractures of the jaw. This study related to a particular technique for fixation of the fracture, rather than general treatment. The overall complication rate was 10 per cent, which is similar to the rates—the average of 11.6 per cent—provided to Mrs Burke from seven much larger international studies using a variety of fixation techniques.
Papers
Mr Corbell presented the following paper:
Civil Law Wrongs Act, pursuant to section 205-General Reporting Requirements of Insurers.
Mr Barr presented the following papers:
Pursuant to section 66A—Government Schools Education Council—Proposals for the 2008-09 ACT Budget, dated 31 October 2007.
Pursuant to section 118A—Non-Government Schools Education Council—Submission for the 2008-09 ACT Budget, dated 28 September 2007.
Mr Corbell presented the following papers:
Subordinate legislation (including explanatory statements unless otherwise stated)
Legislation Act, pursuant to section 64—
Architects Act—Architects Board Appointment 2007 (No 2)—Disallowable Instrument DI2007-256 (LR, 1 November 2007).
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