Common use of Senior Medical Officers Clause in Contracts

Senior Medical Officers. (a) The parties accept that patients have a choice to be treated as a public or private patient in a public health facility, and agree to facilitate this choice. (b) To be clear this includes SMOs seeing private patients referred appropriately either as inpatients or outpatients during hours of work and performing professional services such as procedures, consultations and diagnostic examinations on the basis of clinical need. (c) Where a patient elects to be treated as a private patient under a SMO’s care, the SMO authorises the employer and/or an entity appointed by the employer as their billing agent to raise appropriate fees under the SMO’s Medicare provider number (where eligible) in accordance with the SMO’s granted private practice agreement, applicable scheme rules, the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Queensland Health Fees and Charges Register (as amended from time to time). (d) The employer will provide reasonable support (e.g. administration and clinical support staff) to ensure the effective delivery of private patient care at the hospital/facility. (e) The employer will provide timely and accurate information to SMOs concerning their granted private practice activities. This includes providing monthly reports of xxxxxxxx against the SMO’s Medicare provider number, and ensuring support staff provide clear and prompt communication to the SMO when informed financial consent has been provided by a patient wishing to be treated privately under their care. (f) The parties acknowledge that employers have Private Practice Governance Committees in place and that employers may take reasonable steps to ensure the effective and efficient operation of private practice.