Medical Certificates
The Medical Council receives numerous inquiries and complaints regarding the quality, accuracy and truthfulness of medical certificates. Guidelines are contained in the Medical Council's Medical Certificates Policy.
Advertising
Section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) states:
(1) A person must not advertise a regulated health service, or business that provides a regulated health service, in a way that -
(a) is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to be misleading or deceptive; or
(b) offers a gift, discount or other inducement to attract a person to use the service of the business, unless the advertisement also states the terms and conditions of the offer; or
(c) uses testimonials or purported tesimonials about the service or business; or
(d) creates an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment; or
(e) directly or indirectly encourages the indiscriminate or unnecessary use of regulated health services.
Maximum penalty- (a) in the case of an individual - $5,000; or
(b) in the case of a body corporate - $10,000.
(2) A person does not commit an offence against subsection (1) merely because the person, as part of the person's business, prints or publishes an advertisement for another person.
(3) In proceedings for an offence against this section, a court may have regard to a guideline approved by a National Board about the advertising of regulated health services.
(4) In this section- regulated health service means a service provided by, or usually provided by, a health practitioner.
The Medical Board of Australia has developed guidelines concerning advertising. These guidelines can be found at: www.medicalboard.gov.au/index.php
Medical Records
The National Law (NSW) provides for the making of regulations with respect to records to be kept by medical practitioners practising in this State. Schedule 2 of the Health Practitioner Regulation (NSW) Regulation 2010 prescribes
Further information can be found at: www.medicalboard.gov.au
