The election eve edition.
Hello, and happy election eve!
It's good to be back with an update again after the ANZAC Day long weekend, and on a personal note (as an ADF wife) let me say thank you to all of our members who serve or have served in the armed forces, those of you who are family supporting them, and to all of you who help treat veterans who are patients.
This week we've had the federal election front and centre - no surprises there! We have been advocating to the public and to politicians for many months now on our election asks , and this week we released our Federal Election Health Report Card showing how the parties measure up against our key health asks.
The report card shows that despite some big figure commitments, namely for bulk billing incentives in general practice, all parties have failed to have an appetite for the really BIG reforms needed to ensure our health system does more than hobble along, while patients and staff bear the brunt of systematic deficiencies.
We know better than most where the health system needs bold reform, and the funding to ensure these reforms succeed. We showed in our Modernise Medicare campaign how reforms for general practice and Medicare items, including a new seven-tier GP consultation item structure will help support patients with complex and chronic conditions, with more effective and cost-efficient care in the longer term while keeping pressure of our hospital system. It's a no-brainer - invest properly in comprehensive general practice care, and it pays dividends in the hospital space and the health of our nation.
We know healthcare workforce needs reform including an independent workforce planning agency to ensure we have a long-term plan and we stick to it, and more funding for the workforce incentive program .
We know prevention is better than the cure, which is why along with funding for chronic conditions in general practice we have been advocating for a tax on sugary drinks to help reduce the rates of chronic conditions that stem from sugar intake in Australia.
We know private health is an essential part of Australia's healthcare mix, but right now there are too many issues making health insurance seem unattractive to many Australians, including a perception of lack of value and stoushes between insurers and hospitals. If private health is to remain strong in Australia - and we know that it must - then we need to look towards the establishment of an independent Private Health System Authority to oversee the sector and ensure it delivers value and a reliable product for patients.
We know our public hospitals are collapsing under the huge weight of demand and we are still waiting on governments, both state and federal, to sort out the mess. We urgently need a fit-for-purpose National Hospital Reform Agreement, to ensure our hospitals are funded to expand capacity and improve performance. Our patients constantly hear in the media stories of ambulances being ramped , patients left in hospital corridors, emergency departments well past breaking point, and staff who are left mopping up the mess with overwork and burnout.
So we will continue to advocate to whoever wins the election on all these issues and more. One of the great things about being President of the AMA at the national level is having ready access to health ministers, the department and the media, so we can truly influence change. We ensure we have relationships with all politicians, no matter which party, who have a part to play in shaping Australia's healthcare legislation. No matter who is to be the next health minister, we will be speaking with them very soon after the election to continue to advocate for you as our members, all doctors, and of course, our patients.
You may have seen just before the long weekend we released our submission to the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman (NHPO) - Ahpra is using its powers of immediate suspension too readily and with too little oversight - that needs to change. The Medical Republic covered our submission last week.
We released our Rural Health Issues Survey this week which resonated with the media across Australia. I gave nine separate interviews on Tuesday following its release, with radio, TV and newspapers around the country! You can read the transcript of my interview with ABC Radio and read the story in the Medical Republic .
Our comms and media team did a quick report on where the media have interviewed me or covered our reports just this week alone. They found more than 100 media items and this map shows just where TV, radio and newspapers are covering our work. Our work was covered in online news like The Nightly , TV including The Today Show, Sky News , and the regional WIN network, ABC Radio in both the cities and the regions, and in national newspapers like The Australian. Like I said, we do reach right around the country! This is an important part of our work to make sure doctors voices are heard.
I look forward to updating you all next week as we dissect the election and refocus our energies on what is to be done next. Until then stay well and remember - if you're a doctor, the AMA is for you!
