Too right Giddings (amongst others) should apologise to Dr. McGinity.

Let’s go back to last March, when McGinity was the subject of complaints about malpractice, brought by doctors some of whom had connections with GP North, a large medical clinic designed on US corporate lines that McGinity refused to join, preferring his old style practice with the human touch. In 2009, he was charged with malpractice by the Tasmanian Government Health and Human Services adviser, Dr. George Cerchez, with whom McGinity had previously had run-ins, and other GPs in the district. The Tasmanian Medical Council upheld the complaints and suspended Dr. McGinity, who appealed to the Supreme Court, where his suspension was quashed. The Medical Council promptly suspended him a second time.

McGinity asked the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure his 3,000 patients would be looked after while he was suspended: his request was refused. 5,300 people have signed a petition supporting Dr. McGinity (amazing for a town of 2,000 people), after which the President of the Tasmanian Medical Council, Dr. Peter Sexton, announced that the problem had not been incompetence but that McGinity had been working too hard! In future, he had to restrict himself to 18 hours a week. Given that, McGinity asked for a locum to help him deal with his 3,000 patients but the Government claimed that none were available although months later it seems that the locum situation may now be rectified

The fact that none of the complainants were from McGinity’s patients but from other doctors who prefer a corporatised clinic to Dr. McGinity’s traditional, popular and effective patient-oriented practice, and from politicians who are hell-bent on corporatisation in general, it seems that a serious injustice is being done for political, not for medical, reasons. As for Lara Giddings releasing details of cases without the permission of McGinity or of those concerned, then blaming McGinity himself (and the Greens and Liberals) for saying he didn’t know what the claims were against him, that is Labor spin at its most disingenuous.

In short, this Government, with a small but powerful coterie of medicos, has made a highly regarded family doctor’s life hell and shredded his successful practice, thereby antagonising a whole community and even putting their health at risk. The Supreme Court threw out the Medical Council’s first suspension, so the Council simply got McGinity a second time, on the ground of “working too hard” –, with full support from this dysfunctional Government. And it looks like McGinity’s purgatory could drag on for another year or two yet.

THE SOLUTION IS VOTE THE BASTARDS OUT!

Lara Giddings is showing her true colours, very timely in the lead-up to the election. I am sure she will be long-remembered for this victimisation of a professional doctor, all for the sake of saving the government’s bacon yet again.

Lara is another one to boot out of power in March. It is disgraceful that our politicians need to be taught how to represent their constituents.

Hopefully she will be thrown out with the rest of the rubbish!!!

Congratulations on your website. I particuarly enjoy the pulp mill arguments (albeit one sided).

I am writing today in relation to the Dr Mcginty dispute (for want of a better word). As a retired General Practitioner from Sydney I have been watching the proceedings from the beginning from the sidelines. But after the latest development I feel compelled to comment. I do not know the Doctor in question but clearly he is very well liked and respected in his own community (and hard working too!).

One thing has puzzled me all along. Dr Mc Ginity’s spurious claim that he does not know the nature of the complaints. Nowhere in the country would he have not been told the nature of the claims. Now, the Medical Council in this state appears to be dysfunctional as is evidenced by ther ridiculous amount of time they have taken in this case but they would have informed the doctor in question. They have to! For months now we have been hearing from the doctor, the media, desperate politicians eager to cash in to ‘Show us the complaints.

The Health Department spokeswoman, Miss Larna Gidding (pretty little thing she is too - if I was a couple decades younger I would be chasing her around the block - I digress) has behaved impeccably throughout this whole disaster and when she does release the complaints she is howled down by those who have been asking for just that.

The nature of the complaints are so serious ...  and many will look back in regret at their actions.