The Doctors' Health Advisory Service (NSW) aims to ensure that every NSW doctor, dentist, veterinarian or undergraduate student in these professions does not lack access to health care.
We operate a telephone Help Line and are available to provide personal advice to practitioners and students facing difficulties. We also provide health promotion and educational information through our website and we lecture to interested groups.
The advice is used mostly in relation to stress and mental illness, drug and alcohol problems, or personal and financial difficulties. No problem is too trivial or too serious.
We believe that all practitioners and students should have their own general practitioner, should not dismiss their own symptoms and should consult that doctor if they are unwell. We encourage the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.
Message from the President
Caring for Colleagues – An initiative of DHAS (NSW)
Interest in doctors’ health has risen to national prominence with the recent consultative process of the Medical Board of Australia. Regulatory and registration authorities have for many years acknowledged the importance of doctors’ health. The former Medical Board of NSW had supported the works of Doctors’ Health Advisory Service with substantial grant every year. AMA (NSW) has been a staunch supporter of the Service since its inception.
While the Service handles an average of 120 calls annually and provides a much-needed point of access for doctors who seek health advice, the actual heavy lifting of caring for the health needs of doctors in NSW is carried out by other doctors in the community. Paradoxically, doctors can have difficulty accessing high quality confidential health care. To this end, the Service is committing all its resources to facilitate health access and to advocate for the establishment of a therapeutic relationship for every doctor in NSW.
