During 2017 WorkSafe Victoria invited the Victorian committee of the College Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry to meet and discuss a number of issues including who should do IME work, documentation, questions asked, timing, security, and even fees. We had two meetings, I posted my thoughts at that time, they proved to be prescient! We were to have another meeting in July that did not proceed and we heard nothing further.
All IMEs then received a document dated 31 January, 2018 that included several attachments.
Dear IMEs,
At WorkSafe we are looking for better ways to work with our IME’s.
It is important to us that you are kept up to date with relevant and useful information to support you in your roles as IME’s with WorkSafe.
Strategic Communications
Firstly, we are trying a different approach to the way that we will communicate with you to keep you informed about important updates through our IME Insight.
In this issue:
We want to hear from you
Have ideas or feedback on how we can support you in your roles or to let us know if this type of update is useful, please contact independent_medical_examiner@worksafe.vic.gov.au
(See attached file: IME newsletter – issues one – jan 18.pdf)(See attached file: New Mental Injury IME Question Effective 18 December 2017.docx)(See attached file: New Mental Injury Questions A Guide for Practitioners V1 Dec 2017.docx)(See attached file: New-IME-Mental-Injury-Questions-IME-Coms V3 2018 (002).png)
Kind Regards
WorkSafe IME Provider Engagement Team
One attachment was the newsletter called ‘IME Insight’ dated 1 January 2018, a one-page document stating that there were new mental Mental injury questions
Another was “the New Mental Injury IME Questions” of which there are eight questions but so many sub- questions that in all there are a total 36 questions. There is also a guide to these questions, These questions in this guide were developed by the following:
Karen Chapman | Project Co-ordinator
Chris Lyons | Provider and Quality Co-ordinator
Dielle Felman | Consultant Psychiatrist MBBS (Hons), MPM, FRANZCP
Dr Felman was placed in a difficult position. She was asked to give advice about these questions but had no involvement with the Forensic faculty committee and was essentially speaking for herself.
The chair of the forensic faculty Victorian committee then contacted Lisa Boyd,who had been running the process and was told “We are looking for a very broad-based approach to liaising with psychiatry”; having the Forensic Faculty as the point of liaison does not seem to fit with this!
So much for consultation – Not happy Worksafe. It is consistent with my experiences with WorkSafe extending over 25 years. I have been a member of the AMA VWA/TAC committee during much of this time and it is the same old story, bullshit consultation (to tick the box) and on they go doing what they intended doing all along. I have decided to not re-apply to be an IME.
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