As a doctor, you are responsible for ensuring the treatment you provide meets acceptable clinical, professional and ethical standards for the profession. Treating yourself or someone close to you may affect your ability to meet these standards.
The Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) draft statement, Treating yourself and those close to you (PDF), outlines that wherever possible, doctors should not treat themselves or those with whom they have a close relationship. It acknowledges that there are exceptional circumstances when doctors may have to treat themselves or people close to them, and outlines ways to maintain best practice in those circumstances.
MCNZ is inviting feedback on this draft statement. Please respond to the questions in the consultation paper using the online form. Alternatively, you can email your submission to consultation@mcnz.org.nz. Consultation closes Friday 24 May 2024.
Points 12-15 from the draft statement outline the absolute exceptions to treating "those close to you" and what that might mean for rural providers. Pinnacle’s clinical director Dr Jo Scott-Jones has concerns some of these “absolute restrictions” may be too restrictive, for example, not signing a death certificate of someone who could be defined as “close”.
Jo also questions the feasibility of the restrictions in rural and/or remote communities, such as Taranaki and Coromandel, and suggests an addition to point 15 to state:
"Where a remote rural provider is the only provider able to provide one of the above services, they must consult with a colleague and document that consultation to support them in that activity."
Dr Jo advises people to submit their individual feedback on the draft statement to the MCNZ prior to the deadline date of Friday 24 May.
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