AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen provides members with an update on the week that was at Federal AMA.
Hello and happy Friday to you all! I'm really pleased to be able to update you on all the work we do every week at Federal AMA. It's a real privilege to be able to advocate directly to politicians on behalf of you - our AMA members -as well as for the profession as a whole and, of course, our patients.
I've been in Canberra again this week meeting with politicians at Parliament House to discuss a number of priority topics. With a budget coming up in a few months and a federal election, we are meeting with politicians across the spectrum. Vice President Julian Rait and I met with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston to impress upon them what needs to be done to reform Australia's healthcare to ensure doctors are able to provide high-quality care to our patients, whether that is in general practice, public hospitals or our private health sector. We have one of the best systems in the world, but investment has lagged.
We also met with Health Minister Mark Butler to talk GP item reform, and the need to address our concerns with the scope of practice review, and with Dr Anne Webster from the National Party. Dr Webster has a keen interest in the need to better fund rural health, and we discussed our proposals for GP pathways and training, and the need to support international medical graduates who are such an important part of the rural health workforce.
More fallouts between insurers and private hospitals emerged late last week with Healthscope, Bupa and the Australian Health Service Alliance at loggerheads and potentially leaving millions of patients in the lurch as to what is happening with their planned surgeries. I spoke with a number of media outlets on this issue, including ABC Radio Melbourne , on the need to ensure private healthcare works better for patients, and how a private health system authority would manage disputes and oversee the sector.
Also in Parliament House this week, Independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps asked the health minister about supporting the AMA's private health system authority:
"Will the government support the AMA's call for a private health system authority to resolve such disputes and ensure my community is not left in the lurch and paying big bucks for their health care?"
Minister Butler replied:
"It will discuss some short-term options for reform of this sector very soon, as well as some long-term ideas that include the AMA idea that they have been touting for some time now: a different regulatory system."
Watch this space.
Your AMA Federal Council met last weekend and managed to pass a significant number of submissions and position statements, which I will update you about over coming weeks. There was lots of dialogue and discussion about workforce issues and the problems with inadequate workforce data. What we do know is that the workforce is struggling, and we are looking at how to help. Federal Council also looked at how to better fund and support general practice, and how to best lobby government ahead of the upcoming budget.
The 30th annual Dirty Ashtray Award, which we award in conjunction with the Australian Council on Smoking and Health, was presented in WA this week. I was unfortunately unable to attend in person but was invited to present the awards via this video . Our very own AMA WA President Dr Michael Page was present to hand out the award and I thank him for doing so on behalf of all of the AMA.
Finally, let me also acknowledge and congratulate the election of the new presidents of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA). Dr Jonathan Newchurch has recently taken up the role as AIDA President, while Dr Michael Wright has also taken up his role as RACGP President. I look forward to catching up with them both soon.
