New Zealand Faculty of the Australasian College for Emergency MedicineThursday 06 September 2012, 5:25PM
Media release from New Zealand Faculty of the
Australasian College for Emergency Medicine
The New Zealand Faculty of the Australasian College for
Emergency Medicine (ACEM) expresses its strong support for its
member Dr John Chambers in relation to the proposed disciplinary
action made against him by Southern District Health Board.
Dr Chambers has been threatened with a formal first warning by the
Dunedin Hospital Board following an interview he carried out with
the Otago Daily Times several months ago.
In the interview Dr Chambers answered questions regarding the
Dunedin Hospital emergency department and expressed concern about
the withdrawal of promised - and much needed - funding for the
allocation of additional emergency specialists.
"The Faculty is extremely concerned that such a well-respected
senior doctor with so many years of service to the Otago community
has been made a target of blatant intimidation," said Dr John
Bonning, Chair of the New Zealand Faculty of ACEM.
"In relation to this issue we regard any form of disciplinary
action against Dr Chambers as unacceptable."
The Faculty notes that Dr Chambers spoke in his capacity as a
senior member of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
(ASMS), not as a Dunedin Hospital employee. Contributing to an
ongoing public debate is not only well within Dr Chambers' rights
as a member of the ASMS, but also part of his duty as a medical
professional whose chief concern is the wellbeing of the Otago
public.
As a former clinical director of the Dunedin Hospital ED, an
active leader in the ED college and current ASMS Vice President for
the Otago branch, Dr Chambers' ability to comment on the situation
in an informed and professional manner is beyond question.
The Faculty wishes to stress that since the resignation of Dr Tim
Kerruish in March 2012 due to the withdrawal of funding issue, the
Southern District Health Board has made no effort to find a new
clinical leader for the Dunedin Hospital ED.
"Attempting to intimidate or silence emergency medicine
specialists who engage in public debate is an unacceptable practice
that will only hinder the overall goal of better patient care,"
said Dr Bonning.
The New Zealand Faculty of ACEM proudly acknowledges Dr Chambers'
record as an emergency physician demonstrating the highest
standards of professional conduct for over 20 years and calls on
the Southern District Health Board to withdraw the proposed
disciplinary action immediately.