Elderly doctors face criticism

Australian Medical Association (AMA) president, Steve Hamilton, says old age should not be blamed for the “tragic error” of an elderly South Australian doctor who prescribed antibiotics to a woman who died hours after suffering an allergic reaction to the drug.

However, during a coroner’s hearing last week, it was reported some of the deceased woman’s supporters said the coroner should consider recommending criminal charges, with one supporter urging the coroner to recommend a mandatory retirement age for doctors.

It was also reported the coroner heard the 85-year-old doctor, who, in 2009, prescribed a young Adelaide woman an antibiotic she was allergic to, was not in fact computer literate, and failed to notice the warning in the electronic records.

Dr Hamilton, who says there are some doctors over the age of 80 working in his practice, told DPS eNews improvements to e-health services and computerised medical records would likely prevent these types of “terrible tragedies”.

While no medical rule yet exists which prohibits elderly doctors from holding a GP licence at a certain age, Dr Hamilton says any “good medical practice” should provide a comprehensive medical review to any doctor over the age of 75.

“The AMA strongly believes that every doctor should have their own GP. We [AMA] annually assess our colleagues’ memory for dementia,” he says.

However, Dr Hamilton says older doctors are valued and much appreciated in the medical field.

“We have some senior doctors active in the medical community who have an enormous amount of clinical experience that other doctors, and patients, rely on. The AMA is very supportive of senior doctors in senior roles,” he says.

It is, however, important for all doctors to maintain medical training and insurance for “the sake of the patient” and to protect themselves.

“Doctors have a responsibility to also keep an eye on each other and make sure they are each up-to-date and fit in with good medical practice,” Dr Hamilton says.

There is an opportunity to “intervene” in certain issues with the act of “mandatory reporting”.

“The medical board is compelled to report doctors if we think their actions are seriously wavering from normality. Doctors should be getting assessed like everyone else,” Dr Hamilton says.

However, this mandatory reporting is sending doctors running in fear, Dr Hamilton claims.

“The mandatory requirement to report doctors if certain issues arise, for instance, changes in their health, is scaring doctors away and I will then, in the future have to tap my colleagues on the shoulder as I have done a few times in the past.”

Doctors are treated “differently” to ‘normal people’, Dr Hamilton alleges.

“Doctors also suffer from normal illnesses – and certainly at the end of their working career.” He also says voluntary, rather than mandatory reporting, would be more appropriate as compulsory reporting can often be “very intimidating”.

To prevent similar circumstance, Dr Hamilton suggests better communication and accuracy in information transmitted to computer screens be closely reviewed.

“Everybody needs to know that the information they are looking at is correct; and management plans also need to be communicated to hospitals and specialists,” he says.

Dr Hamilton says it was a “primary error” in the case of the elderly doctor who prescribed the wrong medication to his patient.

“There is nothing that can be said to make the family feel okay. We need better systems in place to protect both the patients and doctors.

“It is a real shame because while there is no excuse for such an error, this tragedy has ended the career of a gentleman whose medical career was likely unblemished until now,” he says.

The coroner excused the doctor, who obtained his medical degree more than six decades ago, from giving evidence because of the man’s fragile mental state. The court heard the doctor suffered from depression and had resigned days after his former patient’s death.

Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia’s chief executive, Ian Yates, told DPS eNews that while they (COTA) believes in the rights of seniors, this particular case would need to be thoroughly discussed by a team of medical professionals.

Tragic error or too old to practise? Tell us whether you think there should be a mandatory retirement age for doctors by commenting in the box below.