OAM for humbled Lismore doctor

A Northern Rivers anaesthetist received an Order of Australia for his work, including lobbying the government to ensure patients were not disadvantaged by expenses.

“I am humbled by this award, it really is such a huge honour”.

On Thursday May 6, 2021, Professor David Scott was presented with a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division by His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland.

Professor Scott, 58, said he was thrilled to visit Government House and receive the OAM, which was for service to medicine, particularly to anaesthetics, as an accredited anaesthetist and former Director of Anaesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Lismore.

“I feel OAM award was in particular for making sure Australians were not disadvantaged in the government’s Medical Benefits Review from 2016 to 2019,” he said.

“As the president of the Australian Society of Anaesthetists, I was the representative for my specialty in responding to the recommendations the government made about Medicare and we lobbied hard and attended meetings with the health Minister to come up with a solution to minimise harm to people.”

The McLeans Ridges resident said he was proud that he and his colleagues helped bring about changes that prevented the costs of treatment increasing.

“We wanted to make sure people were not disadvantaged,” he said.

“We argued against the recommendations because we wanted to protect the interests if people having operations and to make sure people were looked after.”

While Professor Scott also holds the rank of Group Captain as a serving member in the Royal Australian Air Force Reserves, he said in this instance the OAM is strictly for his civilian work.

“I have responded to emergencies in places such as East Timor and the Middle East as well as responding to incidents of the tsunami in Banda Aceh,” he said.

“And I have been actively teaching for the last 30 years on how to reduce pain, particularly using regional anesthetic and have written a textbook and an app.

“Being able to numb someone’s arm, leg or part of their face with carefully placed needles is one area of speciality which has changed dramatically.”

Professor Scott said observing medical professionals using the skills he has helped them develop to ensure their patients feel less pain and can recover more quickly. is extremely satisfying.

“I was overseas a few years ago and was able to watch a Fijian student I have shown how to use regional anesthetic on a patient with machete wound to his arm,” he said.

“He had taken the skills and taken the result to make a difference and it was a really lovely feeling to make a difference.”