A Better Future for Patients and Doctors
Why the Australian Doctors’ Federation?
The importance of the doctor-patient relationship is backed by a legal duty of care by doctors to their patients, as well as an ethical and legal responsibility for the doctor to act in accordance with accepted science.
Who is the Australian Doctors’ Federation?
“I argued that we must be the patient’s doctor; not the government’s doctor; nor the doctor of big business.”
– Dr Bruce Shepherd AM, Founder
The ADF believes in a friendly and cooperative working relationship with all organisations who are promoting and supporting the highest standards of medical care for Australian patients. The ADF makes submissions to government on important issues impacting on the doctor-patient relationship. Given that the ADF has ongoing involvement with working doctors across all disciplines, we believe our advice is practical, relevant and real, and hence valuable for determining the likely beneficial effects of government or administrative action on patient outcomes. As such, the ADF has been involved in all major issues impacting on the doctor-patient relationship since its establishment in 1989.
Our Principle Objectives
Ethical Standards
To maintain, improve, advance and promote the ethical standards, integrity and reputation of the medical profession
Choice of Health Care
To maintain, improve, advance and promote health care for all Australians and ensure that there is freedom of choice of health care
Community Awareness
To increase the Medical Profession’s awareness of the community’s continuing and changing health care needs
Latest News
APF: Too late? The new normal, State government slurps up all patient information
The Victorian government acts in haste to pass health database law, the community will repent at leisure. The Bill links all patient medical and health information through a single portal, to be shared between authorised end-users, decided and controlled by the Secretary of the Department of Health.
Rushed VIC Government Health Database Law Raises More Questions Than Answers
on 13 October 2021 raising lots of unanswered questions for patients, their families and their health care professionals,
Honeysuckle Health: ACCC draft decision cannot stand
The Australian Doctors Federation and many other medical professionals and associations are dismayed at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Draft Determination (ACCC-DD) regarding the Honeysuckle Health (HH) proposal, prompting numerous submissions.