The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has welcomed the announcement of the Health Services Advisory Committee (HSAC) and its membership by the Federal Treasurer, ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today.

"The establishment of the committee was proposed by the Wilkinson Committee* which reviewed the impact of the Trade Practices Act 1974 on the recruitment and retention of doctors in rural and regional Australia".

As the Prime Minister said in releasing the Wilkinson Committee Report one of the key goals is "better understanding of and compliance with the Trade Practices Act" resulting from the report.

HSAC Chairman, Mr Tim Fischer stated, “I am happy to help with the finite, intermediary role of Chairman of the Health Services Advisory Committee; let me point out it is essentially a listening role and reporting back, with a starting point that genuine doctor rosters are both good and legal".

"The ACCC is looking forward to working with HSAC in developing enhanced communication strategies to ensure that the findings of the review, including the finding that genuine medical rosters do not breach the Act, are better understood by doctors and their representative organisations”, Mr Samuel said.

*The Wilkinson Committee comprised Mr Warwick Wilkinson AM, chair, Dr John Alozois and Ms Diana Gibbs. It was established in August 2001 at the request of the Australian Medical Association and Rural Doctors Association of Australia by the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard. The independent Committee was asked to review the impact of Part IV of the Trade Practices Act 1974 on the recruitment and retention of medical practitioners in rural and regional Australia.