Medical Access For All

MEDIA RELEASE: 22 October 2009
Medical access for all

Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes has called on the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) to ensure equality in access to medical care for people with a disability by making height adjustable examination beds mandatory in GP surgeries.

A recent report from the Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDCN) indicates that most patients with a physical disability visiting their GP could not get a full examination or screening because they could not get onto the examination table.

"There is no valid reason why people with a physical disability should continue to have lower levels of health care it is an unacceptable situation," said Commissioner Innes.

PDCN believes RACGP has an opportunity to make height-adjustable examination beds a mandatory requirement for GP's as part of their current standards review.
PDCN experience shows less than 20% of patients have access to the height adjustable tables when being examined by their doctors. This is well below the almost 50% of GP surgeries claimed by GP Accreditation bodies.

PDCN believes the need for continued education and improved awareness is crucial to expand the use of height adjustable tables and thus to address the equity gap between GP figures and patient reality.

Contact:
LACHLAN HAZELTON,
Media Officer
02 9552 1606

Physical Disability Council of NSW
3/184 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe
NSW 2037
t: +61 2 9552 1606
f: +61 2 9552 4644
1800 688 831

SOURCE: The Physical Disability Council of NSW Inc