Author Archives: Tasworkdoc

About Tasworkdoc

As an occupational physician in private medical practice in Hobart, Tasmania - the southernmost state of Australia, I see workers referred by their general practitioners with various types of work-related injuries and diseases. These are mostly musculoskeletal injuries, both of traumatic and gradual onset as well as various associated psychological disorders. With interaction with patients for treatment and providing advice about rehabilitation, I have the opportunity, first-hand, to observe interactions between individual patients and compensation systems. I also conduct independent medical assessments, including impairment assessments for musculoskeletal injuries and asbestos-related disease compensation. This provides another perspective of workers within compensation systems.

Tendentious – What Does that Mean?

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Tasworkdoc

@Bafflegab1 on Twitter describes himself: ‘Long-time critic of Ontario auto insurers; their defence lawyers; and their hired gun medico-legal assessors. Also critical of plaintiff bar lethargy.’ In a recent tweet, he referred to a judgement in the Canadian Superior Court of Justice … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Injured Worker Support and Representation in Tasmania – Do we need more?

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Tasworkdoc

In the early days of this site I wrote an article about Injured Worker Support Websites where I asked for comments about the best approach to provide such support. There was a lot of negativity about the WorkCover Victim website at that … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

THE GREAT DIVIDE – a sorry tale of lost teamwork!

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Tasworkdoc

  Firstly, let me say welcome to a few new followers to my blog following the release of Mark Stipic’s podcast of a second interview with me on RTW Nation about engagement with general practitioners.Thank you Mark. Here is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

AFOEM President Peter Connaughton on improving workers compensation claims processes

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Tasworkdoc

I commend AFOEM President, Dr Peter Connaughton on his opinion piece. It is time for professional bodies like AFOEM to add their weight to initiatives for change to our compensation systems that can unnecessarily contribute to poor health outcomes for those injured … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Comments from Tasmanian Occupational Therapist and WRP Patrick Man

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Tasworkdoc

Patrick has kindly provided the comments below on four earlier blog articles I have published: A Day at the Beach Barry Gilbert on IME’s The Law Trumps Health – or so it seems! What’s It All About, Dr Alfie?   … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Through the Looking Glass – A Call for Greater Transparency

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Tasworkdoc

At first sight, the Victorian Ombudsman Report, ‘An Investigation into the management of complex workers compensation claims and WorkSafe oversight’  seems like a grenade dropped into the status quo of workers compensation in Australia! The report prepared by the Ombudsman, Deborah Glass … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 12 Comments

What Gets Measured, Gets Action?

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Tasworkdoc

ISCRR CEO Alex Collie recently published the following article: Counting work-related injury and illness in Australia: Do we measure up? The following quote from the article illustrates one aspect of the problem with our data collection: “One finding from this … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

What’s It All About, Dr Alfie?

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Tasworkdoc

Yesterday was not an unusual day for me in many respects, but comments on LinkedIn by a doctor that it was ‘very disturbing’ that unions in Tasmania might pursue a change that meant that PTSD was assumed as caused by work in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Law Trumps Health! – or so it seems

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Tasworkdoc

In my blog article at the start of 2016, I outlined a plan for a series of articles about  various ‘insults’ to the achievement of positive health outcomes in compensation systems, in accordance with the theme of this blog. I also … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Barry Gilbert on IME’s

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Tasworkdoc

I attended the ANZSOM weekend meeting held in Hobart last weekend. Dr Barry Gilbert, specialist public health physician and occupational medicine consultant, was one of the presenters. I didn’t realise until I talked to Barry at the meeting that he is is … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments