Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Summit

Recently the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) held a Summit in Melbourne between unions and doctors where they heard cases “where employers had compromised workers’ rights to privacy and proper medical treatment” by “insisting attending the medical examination with the worker.” The ACTU referred to this as an “invasion of privacy” and that “there is a growing trend of employers insisting injured workers visit company-approved doctors rather than a worker’s own doctor.”  There was also reference to “constant medical assessments even after their doctor has cleared them to return to work” and the “growth of doctors networks … sending  injured workers back to work too soon.”

The Northern Territory Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act does not make specific provision about employers or case managers attending medical appointments with the claimant, however the Privacy Law and AMA codes can provide some guidance.