caring for doctors by doctors since 1896

27 November 2006

PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2005-2006

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Medical Benevolent Association is now into its 110th year of service. We of the Council are continuing our work of ensuring that the needs of our beneficiaries are met adequately, while at the same time maintaining the financial stability of this organisation.

In the financial year ending 30th June 2006, the number of beneficiaries helped either by counselling or by financial gifts remained fairly stable at 174 persons, which included 75 new referrals. The payments to beneficiaries was $275,308.00 which was about $22,000.00 less than last year's extra high figure. This amount of financial help still reflects the increased level of need of the people we are currently helping. To meet this need, we have become more dependent on the increasing generosity and loyalty of individual donor doctors and supporting organisations. The total amount we received through donations and bequests totalled $204,963.00 which still left a shortfall of about $70,000.00. Fortunately this amount was more than adequately covered by the profits from our investments, as will be detailed in the Treasurer's report.

Even though our income from donations has increased by about $13,000.00 from last year's low figure, our donor base has not increased but decreased slightly from 10% to 8% of doctors. So it is even more important for us to find ways in the future to increase this donor base. Those who are donating, however, are being even more generous and we are very grateful for the generosity of these people. This year, in order to show our appreciation to those regular and generous donors, a Certificate of Appreciation was sent out with their receipts. We remain a tax exempt charity and a deductible gift recipient so that all donations are tax deductible for the donor. We continue to take care to do what is necessary to maintain this status.

This year, as part of our Annual Appeal, we reminded our colleagues of the `Take Care' brochure which assists doctors to put things in order for that unexpected tragedy. It is very important that colleagues in need are aware of the variety of help that is available to them through this organisation; they should have no hesitation in calling for help. In order to achieve this, we need our supporting organisations to help publicise the work of the MBA. Councillor Dr Elizabeth Rushbrook has developed a power point presentation which she has already presented to the AMA ACT Annual dinner this year. It gives the history of the organisation, describes the needs of colleagues and the help the Association provides. Also Vice-President Dr Gary Galambos regularly updates our informative website: www.mbansw.org.au and our Councillors and the social worker are available to speak if requested.

Our full-time Social Worker, Mary Doughty, has continued her good work of administering to the various needs of our beneficiaries over the past year. Help is given not only financially but also through counselling which has become a major part of her work. Her services are also made available to the Doctor's Health Advisory Service NSW. We have found that dealing with a social worker allows doctor clients more freedom to share openly their problems and to feel that their privacy and confidentiality are being maintained. Confidentiality is always critically important in everything that our organisation does.

Each month the Councillors meet here to discuss the needs of the beneficiaries individually and to decide what aid to give so we are in gratitude to the AMA NSW for providing these facilities for our meetings and also to the NSW Medical Board which provides the mailing list for our annual appeal.

Our sincere appreciation goes to Gary Scarr of BT Financial Group for his expert management of our investment portfolio and to Dennis Mattiske and Bill Nussbaum (now a director of HLB Mann Judd) for their accounting/auditing services and much other invaluable advice. Thanks to Tress Cocks and Maddox for the advice re the winding up of the Jim Monaro Trust in June this year.

Thanks to Danielle Doughty, our new administrative assistant, who is settling well into her administrative and book-keeping role. She is currently doing further studies which will further benefit her work with the Association. Also thanks to Matthew Coombes for maintaining our computer programme and to Mike Hawkins of In2Art whose thoughtful advice on design and layout for our appeal material/stationery needs is much appreciated.

Each of our dedicated Councillors brings to this organisation a plethora of skills and experience. The broad cross-section of the medical fraternity that the Council represents results in just the right balance to our decision making. Dr Richard Herlihy, before his deserved leave from the Council, reported on his research into the financial history of the Association and found that it is healthy and the investment portfolio is growing. Dr Antonio Di Dio, who stepped down from the position of Treasurer last year, subsequently resigned from Council on 22/11/2005, after moving to the ACT Dr Vincent Wong is an enthusiastic and capable replacement Treasurer and Dr Andrew Wines has continued in the role of Secretary. Vice-President Dr Furio Virant has helped in chairing meetings in my absence. In fact, all of the Councillors need to be thanked for their contributions to our discussions about beneficiaries and for ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the Association and its meetings over the past year.

What will be daunting over the next year will be enacting our succession plans for a new social worker. Mary Doughty has been our Social Worker for 42 years but has decided to retire at the end of the current financial year.

Apart from her exemplary skills as a social worker, she has kept the every day running of our organisation on track as well. To find someone to replace her, given her experience, memory for details, organisational abilities and people skills, will be a huge challenge.

Fortunately Mary will remain working while the transition takes place; written guidelines, schedules and yearly plans have already been put in place by her so that whoever succeeds her can do so more easily. Even so, I believe that it will be difficult for anyone to follow in Mary's footsteps as she has become the identifiable "face" of the MBA for so many years.

On behalf of the Council I wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to her for her magnificent devotion and commitment to the work of the MBA of NSW over the past 42 years.

Life after "Mary" for the Association will be interesting to contemplate. However, I have confidence in the knowledge that around me are a very capable group of Councillors with much experience, knowledge and abilities to draw upon for help. I am, therefore, confident that we will continue to deliver to our colleagues in need all that they have been used to receiving from us and hopefully even more.

David Chen 
President

27 November 2006

TREASURER'S REPORT 2005-2006 

Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to present the audited financial statements of the Medical Benevolent Association for the financial year ending 30th June 2006.

Compared to the year ended 30th June 2005, which saw a deficit of $58,252.00, we actually had a surplus of $96,507.00 for this financial year. In the past twelve months, we have spent $275,308.00 on our beneficiaries, whilst the running costs for the Association - including appeal expenses, wages and other general expenses - totalled $152,766.00. On the other hand, the amount raised from our appeals and donations was $204,963.00. This means that we have again had to rely heavily on the returns from our investments to cover our expenses. Thanks to the sound advice from the BT Financial Group and the excellent performance of our investment portfolio, we are fortunate to have a surplus for this year. However, we are still very much dependent on the generosity of our medical fraternity.

The Medical Benevolent Association provides assistance to doctors and their family in crisis. When their problems cannot be resolved within a short period of time, we are sometimes obliged to provide support long-term. In recent years, it seems that we are providing financial support to fewer beneficiaries but we are spending a greater amount on each of them. This may reflect the complexity of their problems; it is often difficult to decide on the best way to help our beneficiaries come to terms with their situations and to assist them to regain financial independence. From the skills and experience of our social worker, the wisdom of our senior Councillors and the new ideas brought in by our younger members, I believe the Council is well equipped to face all the challenges in the modern era.

Finally, I would like to thank Gary Scarr of BT Financial Group, as well as Dennis Mattiske and Bill Nussbaum of HLB Mann Judd for their excellent service. I am deeply grateful to Mary Doughty for all her help and advice and to Danielle Doughty for continually making improvements to our book-keeping format.

Vincent Wong 
Hon Treasurer

27 November 2006

SOCIAL WORKER'S REPORT - AGM 2006

The problems coming before the Association's social worker continue to be varied and unpredictable. To 12 November, there were 77 new people under the association's umbrella. Add this number to the cases carried over from the previous year and the Association is caring for 176 persons, ranging in age from 18 to 80+ years. This includes 52 doctors - 29 male and 23 female. The number is lower than in previous years but the problems have been very difficult and time consuming for Council in its discussions. It is hoped that a better acceptance of ill-health of every kind means that doctors and their families are able to attend counselling services in their own area.

In addition, I talk with many doctors who have concerns about colleagues and the families of deceased colleagues. They seek advice as to what they can do to assist. Often this telephone discussion is sufficient to point them to avenues of help and counselling other than the Medical Benevolent Association - always emphasising that the MBA is there if needed. We continue to receive telephone enquiries and requests for advice from other States where there is no social worker and the doctor concerned does not want to discuss the problem with a colleague.

Looking at the overall picture:

1. Psychiatric problems remain the highest proportion of referrals, with the consequent problems for the doctor and the family. This heading covers mental illness, substance/alcohol abuse.

2. Physical illness has increased - probably with the aging population. It is usually serious and with a poor prognosis, resulting in financial hardship and the need for counselling support for the family. At the request of the AMA NSW, we continue to contact the families of deceased members.

3. Post-secondary students make up another group needing financial assistance. Although the compulsory fee has been abolished at most tertiary institutions, textbooks are an expensive item, as is accommodation if the student has to live away from home.

4. Financial problems - especially relating to card debts, non payment of ATO commitments and overspending on personal loans, surgery/home loans. Financial worries create enormous stress in times of illness.

5. Non-acceptance of ill-health and the need for sick leave - with or without pay - remains a concern with the Area Health Services.

6. Although it is probably a biased view, seen through the MBA's referrals, the stress of post¬graduate studies and college exams remains and affects the doctor and family relationships.

7.A problem that now exercises the mind of Councillors is that of the overseas trained doctor seeking registration through the AMEC exams; failure on the first occasion is not uncommon, resulting in mental stress and financial hardship- again affecting family relationships.

8. Similarly, doctors on the impaired registrant programme, whether suspended or restricted in practice, suffer financial hardship as it often takes three/four years for the process to follow its course.

9. Doctors who are de-registered often fail to regain registration and have to look for other employment - not easy after the age of 50. Again, it is the family who suffers, both emotionally and financially. In one recent case, two of the four children who were financially independent moved interstate to avoid the stigma.

It has been a very expensive year for the MBA, although it has only helped with the necessities of rent/mortgage, water/council rates, gas, electricity and the like in most cases.

I want to express my sincere appreciation of the work of the MBA's Councillors who give so generously of their time and expertise and always find time to advise, especially where there are medical problems.

I wish to thank Laurie Pincott and the staff of AMA NSW; I am always warmly welcomed and have ready access to its office facilities, storage space and good advice. I also receive referrals from the Industrial Office - usually quite difficult ones.

My thanks also to Dennis Mattiske, whom I first met with John Newlinds in 1982 when I learnt the rudiments of book keeping, to Bill Nussbaum who has been coping with my financial records in recent years and to Danielle Doughty who has relieved me of that responsibility for the past two years. Gary Scarr always recognises `that voice' on the telephone and his staff recognise the name.

I want to close my report with a word of appreciation of David Pullen who died a few weeks
ago. MBA Councillor Jim L'Estrange suggested I be seconded to the DHAS Steering Committee in April 1982. There followed 13 years of useful and productive work in the area of doctors' health - including carrying out a questionnaire amongst all doctors in NSW, speaking to a seminar arranged by the College of Physicians and then at the KDMA Conference in Malaysia with David and John Horvath who was President of the NSW Medical Board. This was the first time doctors' health was given a segment of its own.

Mary Doughty AM
Social Worker/Executive Secretary

Election of Office Bearers for 2006/2007:

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 2005-6 (http://www.mbansw.org.au/mba/report_2006.htm) [date accessed]

Last revised: 25 February 2007 21:33