This rationalisation, unfortunately, sounds eerily like the rhetoric that comes from the NSW Teachers Federation whenever the State Government tries to bring in processes that will force some accountability on teachers. The fact is that Dr Phelps is arguing as a representative of a group of professionals, like the teachers, who will not accept the need for their clients to be given information that might make their choices more informed. By opposing the release of the elective surgery waiting lists, Dr Phelps is trying to ensure that any public scrutiny of the efficiency of doctors is kept from the public. There is no merit in this argument. The public can understand that the Internet information needs to be put into context.
Doctors take holidays.
They have sabbaticals. Some doctors have only a limited access to particular hospitals. Some hospitals close during holidays. Other hospitals cut their operating sessions when they run short of money. These are not difficult notions to grasp.