DOCTORS PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM

Contacts :: Dr George Tucker (07 4638 4722) Dr Rob Rimmer (07 4632 2331)

Terms of Reference

The Goal of the Doctors Peer support program is to have a confidential mechanism to facilitate early intervention for doctors at risk of undisclosed physical and emotional health issues. These may be identified by themselves, other doctors, other medical staff working in the public, or private sector or the doctor's families.

Process

There will be three senior doctors in Toowoomba who will be contact points. These three have been chosen by the reference group. The reference group has been chosen by nomination from the profession. Contact can be made by any doctor, medical staff or immediate family of a doctor who has concern about the behaviour of a doctor that may indicate a health issue.

Once one of the three senior colleagues has been contacted, they will confidentially contact one or two of the others of the three, to decide who best from the reference group to meet with this doctor regarding the concerns raised.

The purpose of this meeting is to:

1. Convey to the doctor the concern that has been raised
2. Assess if there is any validity to the concerns
3. If there is validity to the concern, encourage the doctor to find ways to address the issues creating the reason for concern.
4. Facilitate ways to access appropriate care to deal with the reasons for the concern
5. Support in an ongoing manner the practitioner during the time of help seeking as is seen appropriate.

The only person who may receive a report on the outcomes of this meeting is the person who initiated the contact with the senior doctor. This report will only contain:

1. That the meeting occurred
2. The concerns are thought to be valid/ not valid
3. Action is going to be taken/ not taken
4. Advice on what options they have to progress their concern, if the concern is regarded to be valid, should no action be taken

Limits on the activities of this program

There will be no records kept and a high level of confidentiality will prevail. Only the relevant senior doctors and the member called from the reference group will be aware of the issues raised.
There will be no reporting by this program to the Medical Board
This program is principally concerned with health issues of doctors. It is not seen to be within the terms of reference to consider matters of malpractice (perceived or real) or assessment of standards of care.
It is not expected the doctors visiting the doctor of concern provide the medical care and assistance. They are to facilitate the access to this care.

Meetings

It is recommended the reference group meet yearly to review the activities and effectiveness of the group and provide support for the 3 senior chosen colleagues. Individual cases will not be discussed at this meeting.

Promotion

The program has the support of the LMA, Divisions of General Practice, Physicians network, rural doctors network and other relevant organisations to advertise and promote this service to the relevant people. The program should not be promoted to the general public. It is not intended to be a mechanism for complaints of suspected malpractice, which should be referred using exiting separate processes involving the Health Complaints Tribunal. The focus of this program is on early detection and intervention for doctors at risk of physical and emotional health issues.