AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen provides members with an update on the past week.
Happy Friday to you all, and welcome to my latest update on the week that was at Federal AMA.
We've had some big reports this week and some really positive meetings. Our AMA Council of Rural Doctors (CRD) met earlier in the week. CRD is one of the AMA's key practice group meetings bringing together members working as rural GPs, rural generalists, and non-GP specialists across Australia. CRD discussed the professional supports available for rural doctors, and what more needs to be done to support rural healthcare.
It's also worth noting that November is National Rural Health Month, and with this must come a recognition that there is a stark lack of investment per capita in rural health when compared with the cities. We need targeted investment in rural health to ensure communities get the healthcare they need, and that the brilliant doctors working there are well-supported.
It was great to catch up with Oral & Maxillofacial surgical colleagues this week about the review into the title of 'oral surgeon'. Just as we did in relation to podiatric surgeons, we're advocating for the protection of the title 'surgeon' for use by medical practitioners with appropriate, accredited surgical training.
Later in the week I'll be joining our AMA Council of Public Hospital Doctors (CPHD) meeting. As our latest Public Hospital Report Card Mental Health Edition shows, the continued worsening in public hospital performance is having huge impacts on patients and doctors. I'll provide you with an update from CPHD and our continuing advocacy for funding reform in our public hospitals, with a fair funding split between state and federal governments.
Private health is back in the spotlight this week with the federal government's release of the summary report from the Private Hospital Sector Financial Health Check , and the ongoing disputes between hospitals and insurers. Of course, when these issues arise it is patients and doctors who are caught in the middle. We will continue to call for a Private Health Systems Authority to oversee closer ongoing monitoring of the private healthcare system and to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Lastly, we also saw the long-awaited Scope of Practice Review report released by the federal government. While it contains some positive ideas, many of the recommendations risk sending Australia down the path of an NHS-style approach - and we all know the problems our UK colleagues are facing.
We're urging the government to take a cautious approach in its response to the review's final report, which includes several recommendations that would fragment patient care and undermine the key role of GPs in delivering high quality care for patients.
The last thing we need is further fragmentation of patient care. Instead, we need targeted funding to make sure important reforms like MyMedicare show value and support GP-led team-based care, ensuring the continuity of care and the best results for patients. The MBS needs attention too, and I'm excited to share more about our ideas soon.
Have a great week!
