Our History

A letter from the AMA informing the AAST that the request for Affiliation or Association Membership will be considered by the AMA Federal Council at its meeting in Brisbane on 19-20th August 1971. The letter stated that organised bodies seeking to become an associate organisation should have as one of their objects the promotion of the medical or the allied sciences whether generally or in respect of any branch or aspect of the medical or the allied sciences, and that it was probable upon this concept that the recognition of the organisation would rest.

the AMA wrote to the AAST informing them that the matter was considered by the Federal Council at its 19-20th August, 1971 meeting and it was resolved; “That the Australian Association of Stomal Therapists be granted recognition by the Australian Medical Association as an ancillary medical service and notification of this be published in the policy document of the Association, Appendix IV.” ( According to the AMA archivist, this letter which was addressed to Sr Kyte was returned to sender and subsequently another letter with the same contents was sent to Sr E. J. Arnold, Secretary and Treasurer on 4th November, 1971).

Stomal Therapists was subsequently added to Appendix IV: Ancillary Medical Services pages 44-46 of the booklet Australian Medical Association Policy on Medical Services which incorporated amendments up to June 1971 to the Association’s policy document originally adopted in May 1965.

The other ancillary services mentioned were Nursing Services, Physiotherapy, (in private and hospital practice), Social Work, Occupational Therapy and Dietetics. Technically at that time, nurse Stomal Therapists could have been recognised as an ancillary service under ‘Nursing Services” however, they were given recognition in their own right, albeit for a short period before the AMA changed their policy.

4th September, 1971 in The Medical Journal of Australia: Supplement page 6

“Federal Council in discussion agreed that the Australian Association of Stoma Therapists was not suitable for affiliation or association , but resolved that it be granted recognition as an ancillary service and that notification of that should be published in the policy document of the Association, Appendix 4”.

4th November, 1971 A letter from the AMA to the AAST informing it of the above resolution.

15th August, 1985 A a letter was sent from Eileen Lewis, Secretary to the Australian Association of Stomal Therapy Nurses (AASTN) asking for confirmation that the association continued to be an ancillary medical service of the AMA. (This followed the change of name from the AAST to AASTN.

A letter was sent from the AMA to the AASTN stating “the formal concept of ‘Ancillary Medical Services’ which was developed in conjunction with the Medical Services Review Committee Report in the late 1960’s is no longer applicable, because that document has been superseded by periodic publication of AMA Policies on a variety of issues”. Included was a copy of the current “Policies of the Australian Medical Association and Directory for 1984-85”, paragraphs 265-288 on pages 41-43 (the Policy now recognised the significant role in health care of health professionals who are highly qualified and have a wide spectrum of functions and skills). The letter of the 22nd August, 1985 also noted the change in the name of the organisation and asked for advice of any change in the nature of the organisation or significance in the change of name.

A letter from Eileen Lewis, Secretary AASTN thanking the AMA for sending the current policies and explaining that the change of name of the Association was changed at the 1984 AGM in Launceston, Tasmania was in name only so that the general public and allied health professionals not involved with the Association would be more aware that Stomal Therapists were a professional nursing body.

A letter to Sir Edward Hughes from the AMA stating that the Stomal Therapists Association was never an affiliated organisation of the AMA as a condition or affiliation was that the organisation seeking affiliation should not include within its membership more than 10% who are not duly qualified medical practitioners registered in any of the States or Territories of the Commonwealth of Australia. The formal concept reflected in Appendix IV which related to ancillary medical services was no longer applicable because the document was subsequently superseded by periodic publication of AMA policies on a variety of issues.

A letter from Sir Edward Hughes to Secretary General (Dr George Repin) stating that the AASTN had grown to about 400 in membership and “has proved a remarkable enterprise” and suggesting that it would be a “fine gesture if the AMA continued with the ‘ancillary’ named groups” and that ‘the original ancillary status was secured through the efforts of the late Sir Geoffrey Newman-Morris”.

A letter to Sir Edward from the AMA Secretary-General which stated that ‘while sympathetic with your objective of formal recognition…I regret that with the rescission of policies previously embodied in the Medical Services Review Committee Report of May 1965 there is no mechanism for specifically recognising Ancillary Medical Services…”. As the above indicates, the Australian Association of Stomal Therapists were granted recognition by the AMA as an ‘Ancillary Medical Service” in 1971 as a result of Australian Medical Policy on Medical Services which incorporated amendments up to June, 1971 to the Association’s policy document originally adopted in May, 1965 (and the addition to Appendix IV: Ancillary Medical Services pages 44-46).

The policy had been changed by the time the next “Policies of the Australian Medical Association 1978” booklet was printed and was substituted with the following resolutions No152-154 page 20:
152 The Australian Medical Association wishes to establish and maintain cordial relationships with other recognised professions in the field of health care in order to foster mutual understanding and co-operation and resolve difficulties in the community interest. (1978)

153 Some health professionals have become highly qualified and have a wide spectrum of functions and skills, certain of which are exercised independently of doctors, and some of which tend to overlap traditional medical functions. (1978)

154 The separate identity and special role of the medical profession will be best served if all doctors give recognition to the contribution of other health professionals, learn to understand the range and scope of their skills, and provide constructive leadership in situations where a team approach is appropriate in the provision of patient care. (1978).