caring for doctors by doctors since 1896

President's Report

29 November 2004

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am pleased to report that our Association continues to function as intended by our founders. The journey that we are on commenced 108 years ago and we intend to be here for as long as there are any doctors needing assistance.  Our aim is to employ the Association’s resources to improve the lives of distressed doctors and their families in NSW and the ACT Our social worker, Mrs Mary Doughty, or a Council member, is available every day of the year for this purpose.

In the year to 30th June 2004 the Association provided social work assistance and financial gifts to beneficiaries totalling $226,303.00.  The Association’s ability to continue this work depends on the wonderful generosity of individual doctors and supporting organisations.  We work hard to ensure that the intentions of our donors are fulfilled.

We also depend on the income from an investment portfolio that has accumulated from donations and bequests passed to us from previous generations.  The AMA (NSW) Branch contributes generously to our productivity and our finances by provision of a meeting room and office facilities, as well as reminding their members of our need for donations.

The environment in which we operate is very different from that of earlier years.  We are an incorporated body, an income tax exempt charity and a deductible gift recipient, these being matters covered by Commonwealth legislation.  We have an authority to fundraise in NSW and in this we are subject to the state Charitable Fundraising Act.  We have professional, Civil and moral obligations to our beneficiaries and employees.  The laws that apply to our activities are appropriate but can be complex and currently are changing.  We take professional advice where necessary.  Directors and Mrs Doughty attend seminars conducted by State and Commonwealth Departments to ensure that our activities are in accordance with the regulations.  We believe that our activities comply with the legislation.

The legislation under which we operate is not the only issue that is changing for us.  We must have succession plans for our social worker and Board members.  Mary Doughty has been our social worker for forty years.  It is inevitable that she will retire in the foreseeable future, although a date has not yet been set.  To prepare for this and also better to deal with the increasingly complex technology required to run our business, we appointed an administrative assistant one year ago.  Her assumption of the bookkeeping and general secretarial functions liberates Mary to allocate her time more fully to social work.

It also prepares us for the certainty that Mary’s social work successor will have neither the experience nor the desire to perform the executive secretary role that has been hers for so many years.

It is also necessary to give careful thought to the selection of directors now.  Increasingly complex and more onerous obligations require a board with a mix of skills and appropriate experience.  I am delighted to report that the several directors who have joined us in the past year enhance our decision-making capacity markedly.  In the past year all our directors have shown a willingness to inform themselves about the Association’s activities and to work actively to bring about changes for the better.

I will not be standing for President at this meeting's elections, although I hope to continue as a director.  I am grateful for the trust shown in bestowing this honour on me for the past seven years.  At the beginning of this period the challenges facing the Association appeared to the directors to be these:

The Medical Benevolent Association is a careful, considering and conservative body. We will never cease making essential changes but these must be gradual so that we can measure the effect of each increment and avoid mistakes.  It pleases me to report that the team effort made by all of our directors and employees is bringing satisfactory progress in all the areas mentioned.

There is, however, one area where I am insecure about our performance.  I refer to the numbers of doctors coming, or rather, not coming to us for help.  Statistics presented at the National Doctors' Health Conference organised last year by the DHAS of NSW if extrapolated to NSW and the ACT, are persuasive that there is a considerable amount of unrelieved distress in the profession. Some of this must lie within our area of responsibility.  These doctors either do not know about us or do not think we can help.  In either case, we are failing them.  We do advertise ourselves to medical organisations and publications.  Every registered doctor in NSW and the ACT is notified annually about us via our appeal letter.  Mrs Doughty actively seeks invitations to speak to meetings.  Dr Gary Galambos gained credit and publicity for us by helping to organism the National Doctors' Health Conference and by making a presentation there.  We have a web site.  We place notices in hospitals at the beginning of each year.  But we are not receiving the referrals that we should.  It is apparent that we are not doing enough. I commend this issue to the most earnest attention of the Board that is elected tonight.  All of the satisfaction we derive from our financial health, from our successful compliance with government regulations and from our improving personnel and practices will be misplaced self-congratulation if we do not correct this shortcoming.

Several months ago we were greatly saddened to learn of the death of Dr Bryan Curtin. Bryan served as a director of the Association from 1984 until 1996.  He was our Honorary Secretary for six of those years.  We were pleased to appoint him to Life Membership in 1996.  Together with his wife Marie, Bryan continued to attend our Annual General Meetings until overcome by ill health.  The courtesy and erudition that made him so popular with his patients and colleagues were also deeply appreciated by this Association.

My time as President was made much more enjoyable by Mary Doughty’s great wisdom and experience.  I sought her advice frequently, at any time of the day and on any day of the week.  She responded generously and with unfailing good humour every time.  I also deeply appreciate the hard work of my fellow directors.  They are responsible for the correct governance of a substantial and venerable institution and this brings potential risk to their own interests.  They willingly give time away from their families and practices.  Their only reward is the satisfaction of knowing that their sacrifice is essential to the good work of the Association in relieving distress amongst our colleagues.

Richard Herlihy

President

Treasurer's Report

Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have pleasure in presenting the audited financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2004.

Our income figures show that donations received from all sources totalled $246,439.  This was approximately $84,000 more than received the previous year. We had a Christmas Appeal in December 2003, in addition to the usual June Appeal.  Investment income was approximately $167,000.

Total operating expenditure for the year was $14l,941.  This was about $11,000 greater than the previous year.  Gifts to beneficiaries were an additional $156,810, slightly less than the previous year.  It should be noted that $68,853 of the operating expenditure was for Social Worker expenses and we consider this to be direct expenditure on behalf of beneficiaries.

The accounts show an operating profit of $1l1,849 for the year.

Our investment portfolio, managed by BT Financial Group (previously Westpac Investment Management), continued the improving trend of the previous year.

Council notes a slight reduction in direct gifts to beneficiaries.  We firmly believe that no genuine need is ever denied.  The reason for the reduced need to make financial gifts is thought to reflect the changing type of help that the Association is giving.  There is increasing demand for social work counselling to deal with individual and family distress associated with the increased pressures of modern medical practice rather than a need for direct financial support.  This appears consistent with the trend noted by some social commentators.  The Australian populace is thought to be achieving a higher material “Standard of Living” as measured by quantitative indicators but without a matching improvement in the qualitative measures for “Quality of Life”.  Bluntly put, medical incomes might be rising but there is a disproportionate increase in the stress of medical practice.

I would like to express my thanks to Gary Scarr of BT Financial Group and to Denniss Mattiske and Bill Nussbaum of HLB Mann Judd for their professional assistance to the Association and to me for another year.  They are readily available to provide expert advice in a friendly manner.  Their service is highly valued always.  

Mr President, I put this report to you and move its adoption.

Antonio Di Dio

Honorary Treasurer

Social Worker's Report

29 November 2004

There has been a noticeable decrease in the number of beneficiaries in the current calendar year - 168 persons to date, comprising adults, tertiary students, secondary students, primary students and preschool children.  I am hoping that this decrease in numbers is the result of a better acceptance by the profession that doctors, like the rest of the community, become ill - whether that illness be physical or emotional. Looking at the figures, it seems that the requests for financial assistance have not decreased to the same extent that the need for counselling has. I think this is because it is now acceptable in the metropolitan area to see a psychiatrist, psychologist or marriage counsellor near to where the person is living.  The situation is probably still a little different in rural areas.  I was pleased to see the October edition of the Medical Journal of Australia which was devoted to doctors’ health - following the lead of the KDMA Conference in 1991 when it devoted one of its educational sessions to this topic.  It was disappointing to note that there is no mention of the counselling role of the Medical Benevolent Associations - especially in New South Wales and Victoria where it has existed for many years.

The problems remain the same and are spread across the medical community; psychiatric and substance abuse problems remaining the greatest areas of concern. However, the stress of litigation, as outlined by Dr Cholm Williams at the DHAS AGM, is growing and can be quite debilitating for the doctor involved and for his family.

Councillors have been looking at a more convenient way to access the information needed for them to make decisions at the monthly Council meeting when financial assistance is required.  The need for this information to be factual and confidential is being considered in depth as many of those who come to the Association have never disclosed their situation to anyone else and rely on us for complete confidentiality.  It will not affect the way the social worker records her personal contact with beneficiaries.

Many of the referrals come from colleagues and friends, or our supporting organisations, but all are advised that this is a ‘one way track’, with no follow-up contact and no reporting back.

Over the past six months, I have handed over some of the administrative duties to Mrs Danielle Doughty, a certified bookkeeper.  During the next twelve months, further duties will be given to her so that the social worker becomes the social worker only - responsible for advising Council on its beneficiaries’ needs and keeping only what records are essential for good casework.

I spoke to the Sydney University Alumni in Hobart in February and to the first year medical students at Newcastle University in May.  I have also maintained contact with the Victorian Medical Benevolent Association, which advises that it is not planning to seek tax deductibility as it has sufficient investment money to carry out its activities.

On the other hand, Dr David Pope, after a detailed discussion with the Queensland MBA, was advised that it cannot conceive of working along the lines of NSW; it will help on a once only basis - and give assistance to registered doctors only.

The good results achieved by this Association in counselling and giving financial assistance show in the number of donations to the annual appeal that are received from past beneficiaries.  This support is not on a once only basis but continues over many years.

Once again, I want to thank the staff of AMA NSW for their assistance at all times.

Mary Doughty AM

Social Worker/Executive Secretary

Councillors:

Social Worker

Mary Doughty AM

Chartered Accountants

HLB Mann Judd

Independent auditor

HLB Mann Judd

Investment advisors

BT Financial Group

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Medical Benevolent Association of New South Wales. All rights reserved.

Citation suggestion: Medical Benevolent Association of NSW, Annual Report 2003-4 (http://www.mbansw.org.au/mba/report_2004.htm) [date accessed]

Last revised: 25 February 2007 20:52