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The continuing increase in requests for investigations into current and
new SOPs is placing substantial strain on the resources of the RMA. Each
review necessitates a re-examination of the whole of the contents of a
SOP and needs extensive searches to ensure that the available sound medical-scientific
evidence has been taken into account, especially for the period following
the last review of the instrument. Such searches and the critical appraisal
of the published papers found are resource and time intensive. The RMA
is being forced to develop processes to establish priorities for the lists
of requests awaiting review. The issue of increasing workloads could
lead to either unacceptable delays or a need for significant extra resources
if it continues. It was not perceived as a major resource issue for the
RMA when the legislation was originally enacted and is currently the subject
of legislative review following recommendations of the Pearce Report on
the RMA.
There are currently more than thirty investigations at varying stages
of consideration by the RMA. These investigations have been requested
to evaluate a wide range of issues and include dose description in existing
factors, new factors in existing SOPs and the consideration as to whether
certain conditions may be considered a disease or injury under the VEA.
During the year, the RMA carried out a review of the anti-malarial trials
conducted in North Queensland during World War II. This was done at the
request of the Minister and the Repatriation Commission following adverse
media comments about the experiments. A lengthy review of the well kept
information from the experiments and a workshop consisting of researchers,
volunteers, defence personnel and experts from the experiments was conducted.
The findings are that the research was world leading in methodology and
ethics for its time, that it made a substantial contribution to the war
effort, and was a significant component of the success of the Pacific
campaign in defence of Australia.
The outcomes of two legal proceedings have been of interest to the RMA
this year i.e. Collins v Repatriation Commission and VVAA v Repatriation
Commission (NSW Court of Appeal). In response to the first of these,
the RMA is putting amendments to Parliament concerning SOPs dealing with
diseases for which no causal factors can be derived from the available
sound medical-scientific evidence. In the second case, the RMA has legal
advice that the Court decision does not require changes in the RMA processes
and procedures.
The RMA accepted an invitation to be an observer on the joint Defence/DVA
Medical Advisory Panel on Health Issues Arising from Deployments
(MAPs). The first MAP meeting was held in November 1999 in Canberra.
The RMA now has its own Website on the Internet to assist veterans and
others in obtaining up to date information about the RMA.
Mr Ian McLennan announced his retirement from the position of Registrar
this year. RMA members, the Secretariat staff and ESOs across the country,
all acknowledge the outstanding work done by him as the first Registrar
of the RMA. The Chairman and Members of the RMA particularly recognise
Mr McLennan’s major contributions in administration, and communication
with veterans and ESO’s.
This page last updated 13
October 2000.
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