SpringerLink
Log in

Health Law and the Specialist Medical Administrator

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Textbook of Medical Administration and Leadership

  • 447 Accesses

Abstract

The specialist medical administrator leads and manages health systems, and therefore requires expertise in the juxtaposition between the law and medicine. Every area of responsibility of a medical leader is subject to or influenced by specific legal requirements. This chapter provides the specialist medical administrator with an overview of health law as it relates to health administration, and is divided into three areas: Patient Care, Professional Governance, and Organisational Systems. Under the heading of Patient Care, the author discusses adverse events, complaints, and negligence. An overview of the law relating to complex ethical and legal issues affecting the care of individual patients including consent to medical treatment, advance care directives, substitute decision-making, withdrawal of treatment, and voluntary assisted dying is also included in this section, together with an overview of the law relating to organ donation, wills and requirements for reporting to the State Coroner. In the section on Professional Governance, the author discusses requirements for registration and mandatory notification under the National Law, credentialing and defining the scope of clinical practice and professional indemnity insurance arrangements, and concludes with a discussion about the professional standards applying to medical administrators. In the section on Organisational Systems, the author discusses a range of topics with broad application to organisations and the healthcare system as a whole, including the role of healthcare complaints bodies, whistleblower legislation, workplace health and safety, workplace relations, and national agreements that establish the roles and responsibilities of various parties in the Australian healthcare system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wilson RM, Runciman WB, Gibberd RW, et al. The Quality in Australian Health Care Study. Med J Aust. 1995;163:458–71.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Hamilton JD, Gibberd RW, Harrison BT. After the quality in Australian health care study, what happened? Med J Aust. 2014;201(1):23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Incidence of adverse events and negligence in hospitalized patients: results of the Harvard Medical Practice Study I. Qual Saf Health Care. 2004;13:145–51.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Jackson T, Moje C, Shepheard J, McMillan A. Monitoring sentinel events using routine inpatient data. Asia Pacific J Health Manag. 2009;4(2):39–45.

    Google Scholar 

  5. (1992) 175 CLR 479 at 483.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Lowns v Woods [1996] Aust Torts Reports 81-376.

    Google Scholar 

  7. BT v Oei [1999] NSWSC 1082.

    Google Scholar 

  8. [2014] HCA 44.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT) s 5; Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) ss 55-58; Personal Injuries (Liabilities and Damages) Act 2003 (NT) s 8; Law Reform Act 1995 (Qld) ss 15 and 16; Civil Liability Act 1936 (SA) s 74; Civil Liability Act 2002 (Tas) ss 35A-35C; Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) ss 31A-31D; Civil Liability Act 2002 (WA) ss 5AB and 5AD.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Medical Board of Australia. Good Medical Practice; a code of conduct for doctors in Australia. 2010. www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies.aspx. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  11. [2013] WASAT 182.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Dekker v Medical Board of Australia [2014] WASCA 216.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Hoffman v Medical Board of Australia [2012] WASAT 110.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Medical Board of Australia. Frequently asked questions on non-practising registration. 29 July 2013. http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies/FAQ/FAQ-for-non-practising-registration.aspx. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  15. Section 139C(c), Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) No 86a.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s.5O; Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic), s.59; Civil Liability Act 2002 (WA), s.5PB; Civil Liability Act 1936 (SA), s.41; Civil Liability Act (Tas), s.22; Civil Liability Act (Qld), s.22.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Rogers v Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Samanta A, Samanta J and Gunn M. Legal considerations of clinical guidelines: will NICE make a difference? J R Soc Med. 2003;96(3):133–138. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539423/. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  19. Vissenga v Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria [2004] VCAT 1044.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Jolley v. Sutton London Borough Council [2000] UKHL 31 (18 May 2000).

    Google Scholar 

  21. [2013] HCA 19.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Todorovic v Waller [1981] HCA 72; (1981) 150 CLR 402.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Wright EW. National trends in personal injury litigation. Before and After “Ipp”. (2006) 14 Torts Law Journal 233. https://www.nswbar.asn.au/circulars/Prof%20Wright%20report%20May%2006.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  24. [2005] NSWSC 637.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Ibid at 64.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Faunce TA, Bolsin SN. Fiduciary disclosure of medical mistakes: the duty to promptly notify patients of adverse health care events. J Law Med. 2005;12(4):478–482. https://law.anu.edu.au/sites/all/files/users/u9705219/jlm_duty_to_promptly_disclose.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  27. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The Australian Open Disclosure Framework (March 2013). Sydney: ACSQHC; 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. 2008 update Newsletter. http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/2008-Special-Ed.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  29. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The Australian Open Disclosure Framework (March 2013). Sydney: ACSQHC; 2013. s 10.1.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. 2nd ed. Sydney: ACSQHC; 2017.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Studdert DM, Piper D, Iedema R. Legal aspects of open disclosure II: attitudes of health professionals – findings from a national survey. Med J Aust. 2010;193:351–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. AIHW. Australia’s medical indemnity claims 2012-13. Safety and quality of health care 15. Cat. no. HSE 149. Canberra: AIHW; 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Kraman SS, Hamm G. Risk management: extreme honesty may be the best policy. Ann Intern Med. 1999;131:963–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Boothman RC, Blackwell AC, Campbell DA Jr, et al. A better approach to medical malpractice claims? The University of Michigan experience. J Health Life Sci Law. 2009;2:125–59.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT); Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW); Personal Injuries (Liabilities and Damages) Act 2003 (NT); Civil Liability Act 2003 (Qld); Civil Liability Act 1936 (SA); Civil Liability Act 2002 (Tas); Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic); Civil Liability Act 2002 (WA).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Haas M. Health complaints. Health Policy Monitor, April 2004. http://hpm.org/en/Surveys/CHERE_-_Australia/03/Health_complaints.html. Accessed 3 Nov 2015.

  37. Medicare Agreements Act 1992 (Cth), section 26.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Haas M. Op cit.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Memorandum of Understanding. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and Health Complaints Entities. http://www.hcscc.sa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/h_mou-between_ahpra_and_hces_oct10.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  40. NSW Health Care Complaints Commission. The national registration scheme for health practitioners. http://www.hccc.nsw.gov.au/Information/Information-for-health-providers/National-Registration-Scheme. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  41. Office of the Health Ombudsman Queensland. Who can make a complaint? http://www.oho.qld.gov.au/health-service-providers/who-can-make-a-complaint/. Accessed 15 Jan 2015.

  42. Rogers v Whitaker [1992] HCA 58; (1992) 175 CLR 479.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Victorian Law Reform Commission. Guardianship: final report. 2012. Ch 7. Capacity and incapacity. http://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/Guardianship_FinalReport_Ch%207_Capacity%20and%20incapacity.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  44. Australian Law Reform Commission. Equality, Capacity and Disability in Commonwealth Laws. Discussion Paper 81. May 2014. https://www.alrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/pdfs/publications/whole_dp81.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  45. Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority [1986] 1 AC 112.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Secretary, Department of Health and Community Services v. J.W.B. and S.M.B. (Marion's case.) [1992] HCA 15; (1992) 175 CLR 218.

    Google Scholar 

  47. [2013] NSWCA 320.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1978 (ACT) s23, Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) s174, the Human Tissue Act 1982 (Vic) s24, the Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act 1995 (SA) s13(5), the Human Tissue and Transplant Act 1982 (WA) s21, the Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1979(Qld) s20, Human Tissue Act 1985 (Tas) s21, Northern Territory: Emergency Medical Operations Act 1973 sections 2 and 3.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Re C [1994] 1 All ER 819, 824 and 825.

    Google Scholar 

  50. NSWSC 761.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Powers of Attorney Act 2006 (ACT); Advance Personal Planning Act 2013 (NT); Powers of Attorney Act 1988 (Qld); Advance Care Directives Act 2013 (SA); Medical Treatment Act 1988 (Vic); Guardianship and Administration Act 1990 (WA).

    Google Scholar 

  52. The Clinical, Technical and Ethical Principal Committee of the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council. A National Framework for Advance Care Directives. September 2011. http://www.coaghealthcouncil.gov.au/Portals/0/A%20National%20Framework%20for%20Advance%20Care%20Directives_September%202011.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  53. [2009] WASC 229.

    Google Scholar 

  54. H Ltd v J & anor [2010] SASC 176.

    Google Scholar 

  55. Willmott L, White B, Smith MK, Wilkinson DJC. Withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in a patient’s best interests: Australian judicial deliberations. Med J Aust. 2014;201:545–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. R (Burke) v General Medical Council [2005] EWCA Civ 1003, [57][2005] EWCA Civ 1003; , [2006] QB 273.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Keogh W. Law and ethical issues in harvesting solid organs for transplantation from deceased infants and children. Paper presented to the 6th World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights, Sydney, Australia, March 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1978 (ACT); Human Tissue Act 1983 (NSW); Transplantation and Anatomy Act (NT); Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1979 (Qld); Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1983 (SA); Human Tissue Act 1985 (Tas); Human Tissue Act 1982 (Vic); Human Tissue and Transplant Act 1982 (WA).

    Google Scholar 

  59. (1870) LR 5 QB 549.

    Google Scholar 

  60. Wills Act (ACT); Succession Act 2006 (NSW); Wills Act (NT); Succession Act 1981 (Qld); Wills Act 1836 (SA); Wills Act 2008 (Tas); Wills Act 1997 (Vic); Wills Act 1970 (WA).

    Google Scholar 

  61. The Law Society of NSW. When a client’s mental capacity is in doubt. A practical guide for solicitors. 2016. https://www.lawsociety.com.au/cs/groups/public/documents/internetcontent/1191977.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  62. Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. The role of the Coroner. http://www.vifm.org/our-services/forensic-services/medico-legal-death-investigation/the-role-of-the-coroner/. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  63. Law Reform Commission of Western Australia. Review of coronial practice in Western Australia. Final report. Project no. 100. January 2012. http://www.lrc.justice.wa.gov.au/_files/P100-FR.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  64. Charles A, Ranson D, Bohensky M, Ibrahim JE. Under-reporting of deaths to the coroner by doctors: a retrospective review of deaths in two hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. Int J Qual Health Care. 2007;19(4):232–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Middleton S, Buist MD. Medical-setting deaths and the coroner – laws, penalties and guidelines. Med J Aust. 2014;201(11):679–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Middleton S, Buist M. The coronial reporting of medical setting deaths: a legal analysis of the variation in Australian jurisdictions. Melbourne Univ Law Rev. 2014;37:699–735.

    Google Scholar 

  67. Law Reform Commission of Western Australia. Op cit.

    Google Scholar 

  68. Australian Government Department of Health. National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS). http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/work-nras. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  69. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Part 5.

    Google Scholar 

  70. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law s.113.

    Google Scholar 

  71. Medical Board of Australia. Registration standards. http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  72. Medical Board of Australia. List of specialties, fields of specialty practice, and related specialist titles. 22 July 2013. http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  73. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law s.75.

    Google Scholar 

  74. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law s.129(5).

    Google Scholar 

  75. Health Practitioner Regulation National law s.128(3).

    Google Scholar 

  76. Medical Board of Australia. Recency of practice registration standard. 1 July 2010. http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  77. Medical Board of Australia. Frequently asked questions on non-practising registration. http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies/FAQ/FAQ-for-non-practising-registration.aspx. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  78. Medical Board of Australia. Medical Registration. What does it mean? Who should be registered? http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies.aspx. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  79. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, s 141.

    Google Scholar 

  80. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, s 142.

    Google Scholar 

  81. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, s 140.

    Google Scholar 

  82. Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care. National Standard for Credentialing and Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice. July 2004. http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/credentl1.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  83. The Sydney Children’s Hospital Network. NSW State Scope of Clinical Practice Unit. http://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/professionals/professional-resources/nsw-state-scope-of-clinical-practice-unit. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  84. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, Second Edition. Sydney. ACSQHC, 2017. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/National-Safety-and-Quality-Health-Service-Standards-second-edition.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  85. 30 Mass.L.Rptr. 547 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  86. Roylance v General Medical Council [2000] 1 AC 311.

    Google Scholar 

  87. Medical Board of Queensland v Fitzgerald [2010] QHPT 1.

    Google Scholar 

  88. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation Scheme. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/assessment-to-the-nsqhs-standards/australian-health-service-safety-and-quality-accreditation-scheme/#The-Australian-Health-Service-Safety-and-Quality-Accreditation-Scheme. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  89. Breen v Williams (1996) 186 CLR 71.

    Google Scholar 

  90. Health Services for Men v D’Souza (2000) 48 NSWLR 448.

    Google Scholar 

  91. [2010] FCA 419

    Google Scholar 

  92. Primary Health Care Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [2010]/ FCA 419.

    Google Scholar 

  93. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, s 141(4)(d)

    Google Scholar 

  94. Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Guidance for whistleblowers. Who is a whistleblower? http://asic.gov.au/about-asic/asic-investigations-and-enforcement/whistleblowing/guidance-for-whistleblowers/#AmIawhistleblower. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  95. Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012 (ACT); Public Interest Disclosures Act 1994 (NSW); Public Interest Disclosure Act (NT); Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (Qld); Whistleblowers Protection Act 1993 (SA); Public Interest Disclosures Act 2002 (Tas); Protected Disclosure Act 2012 (Vic); Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003 (WA);

    Google Scholar 

  96. Wolfe S, Worth M, Dreyfus S, Brown AJ. Whistleblower protection rules in G20 countries: The next action plan. Public Consultation Draft, June 2014. http://transparency.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Action-Plan-June-2014-Whistleblower-Protection-Rules-G20-Countries.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  97. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Medical Professionals. https://www.accc.gov.au/business/associations-and-professional-services/medical-professionals. Accessed Mar 2023.

  98. ACCC v Ramsay Health Care [2020] FCA 308 (12 March 2020).

    Google Scholar 

  99. Fair Work Commission. Coverage. National System Coverage. https://www.fwc.gov.au/creating-fair-workplaces/the-national-workplace-relations-system/coverage. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  100. Australian Government Department of Employment. Australia’s National Workplace Relations System. https://employment.gov.au/australias-national-workplace-relations-system. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  101. Australian Government. Fair Work Ombudsman. Small Business and the Fair Work Act. https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/policies-and-guides/best-practice-guides/small-business-and-the-fair-work-act. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  102. Council of Australian Governments. Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety. 3 July 2008. https://www.coag.gov.au/sites/default/files/agreements/OHS_IGA.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  103. Australian Medical Council. Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia. July 2009. https://www.amc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/about/good_medical_practice/2009-07_Final_Code.pdf. Accessed Mar 2023.

  104. Gerner v Victoria [2020] HCA 48.

    Google Scholar 

  105. Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s 789FD (1).

    Google Scholar 

  106. Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s 789FD (2).

    Google Scholar 

  107. Fair Work Ombudsman. Bullying and harassment. https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employee-entitlements/bullying-and-harassment. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  108. Fair Work Ombudsman. Op cit.

    Google Scholar 

  109. Council of Australian Governments. The Federal Financial Relations Framework. http://www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/national_agreements.aspx. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  110. National Healthcare Agreement 2012, clause 10. http://www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/npa/health/_archive/healthcare_national-agreement.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  111. National Health Reform Agreement. http://www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/npa/health/_archive/national-agreement.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

  112. National Health Reform Agreement, Schedule B. http://www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/npa/health/_archive/national-agreement.pdf. Accessed 15 Jan 2018.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    Erwin Loh

Authors
  1. Erwin Loh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erwin Loh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Erwin Loh

  2. Centre for Health Leadership, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Paul W. Long

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Loh, E. (2023). Health Law and the Specialist Medical Administrator. In: Loh, E., Long, P.W. (eds) Textbook of Medical Administration and Leadership. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5211-3_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5211-3_13

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-99-5210-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-99-5211-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation