As part of the move of the offices from Trades Hall to 62 Lygon Street, we have rediscovered a lot of the history of the MSAV, VPA and the AHP.

Here is an extract of a letter to the federal Minister for Health from the MSAV, written in 1987. The letter regarding the 1986 Commonwealth legislation which introduced the requirement that pathology services had to be rendered by a pathologist (Approved Pathology Provider). The MSAV was arguing that medical scientists should be able to continue to run pathology laboratories, and the (then) new APP requirement would be detrimental to the professional advancement of scientists.

The MSAV letter says, among other things, In most cases the pathologist sees neither the patient, the specimen the analysis or the result… scientists are unjustly shackled to quite often less capable medical practitioners and denied the right to practice independently… without the encumbrance of a member of the medical fraternity riding on their backs.