AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen provides members with the latest from the national AMA.
Hello, and happy Friday!
The last-minute cancellation of my trip to Nepal for the annual meeting of the Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania (CMAAO) should have - in theory anyway - freed me up this week but it seems to have only freed me up for more meetings! We did manage to catch up virtually on Wednesday for the CMAAO formalities, and my thoughts remain with our colleagues in Kathmandu and doctors right across the world providing patient care in challenging circumstances.
I was quite taken aback by the stark inequality highlighted this week with gender pay gap coverage in The Australian. The data shows female doctors earn $6,500 less than their male colleagues just three years into their careers. It's one of the reasons we are pushing for restructuring of MBS items in general practice, and we're also working with the Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership team on strategies to improve the involvement of women in healthcare leadership, and to address systemic inequities in pay, recruitment and career progression.
Pay equity isn't optional - it's essential to a sustainable health workforce.
While we're on workforce, productivity is a hot word in Canberra right now, and of course in healthcare, we have a role of boosting the productivity of all the patients we treat. We provided a submission to the Productivity Commission Interim Report - Delivering Quality Care More Efficiently outlining the economic benefits of investing in preventive health measures and early intervention. While life expectancy remains high, Australians are also spending more years in poor health - limiting their ability to participate in the workforce and in the community. Governments must view healthcare spending as an investment, rather than a cost.
It's Dementia Action Week and again comes more stark news as data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveals that dementia is now Australia's leading cause of death. I've been in the media this week reminding people that dementia is not an inevitable consequence of ageing, and that prevention strategies can make a significant difference. Keeping active, lowering alcohol intake, keeping socially engaged and keeping your brain stimulated with things that are good for it - perhaps try reading a book rather than reading Facebook - all help reduce risk.
Thursday was a packed day with the National Council of Primary Care Doctors (NCPCD) committee meeting - a collaborative of all the peak bodies supporting GPs. It was a great opportunity to share perspectives on the many changes facing our specialty. There is much alignment between us, and shared advocacy to support the vital role of GPs.
I also attended the first of three immunisation workshops on the implementation phase of the National Immunisation Strategy 2025-30. This workshop focused on making better use of data and adopting new technologies. Future workshops will cover improving equitable access to immunisation, strengthening trust and acceptance of immunisation and addressing workforce challenges. Immunisation is a key priority of the AMA this year, and I reiterated the importance of evidence-based, informed conversations as central to improving immunisation coverage across the life span. Greater linkage and transparency of immunisation coverage data and disease surveillance data could help drive better immunisation particularly for seasonal illness. And of course, I promoted the critical role of general practice and practice nurses in provision of immunisations.
Our new AMA LGBTQIASB+ Reference Group had an introductory meeting on Thursday night, and I'm looking forward to harnessing their expertise as we work to ensure our AMA positions are inclusive of all our members. Along with our new IMG committee, and our reinvigorated joint taskforce on Indigenous health with AIDA, this new reference group will help support us in our efforts towards better equity and diversity at the AMA.
I'll be back next Friday to update you all on the happenings from your national AMA, but until then I have a question to help keep those brains active… Why did the doctor laugh at the X-ray?
