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New guide will make it easier for public to access services

The Medical Council’s new guide on professional conduct and ethics will make it easier for the public to get information about the availability and price of medical services in their area.

That’s according to the chair of the Competition Authority, which has welcomed the publication of the new Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners.

Competition Authority chairperson Bill Prasifka, said: “The new guidelines will make it easier for consumers to obtain information on the availability and price of medical services in their area. They will better enable consumers to make informed decisions on their choice of medical care.”

In the past the Authority expressed concerns about restrictions on advertising by doctors, arguing it limited the supply of information, benefitted established doctors and limited price competition. For example, the old guidelines stipulated that a newspaper ad about a doctor setting up a new practice should not measure more than 100mm in any direction. It also said that the most suitable place for information about fees to be displayed was in the place of practice. In 2007 it made a submission to the Council on the topic.

“It is extremely difficult for consumers to make price comparisons and shop around for the best value. This allows doctors to charge more than they would in a more transparent competitive environment,” it stated.

The new guidelines have removed restrictions on the size, content and means of advertising. It says it is in the public interest to provide information through the media, internet or other means as long as it is accurate and verifiable. It also says patients should be informed of the likely cost before a consultation or treatment and doctors should include their Medical Council registration number on ads about their practice.

Posted in Regulation on 30 November 2009
Tags: Medical Council