One hundred medical leaders will come together in Canberra today to tackle some of the thorniest issues facing Australia's health system.
Representatives from more than 50 medical groups and will attend the AMA's national meeting of medical colleges, associations and societies. Health Minister Mark Butler will also address the meeting.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said a wide range of issues would be discussed during the meeting, with critical workforce challenges, scope of practice issues and the future of health care in Australia at the top of agenda.
"Australia's health system is under immense strain — from the logjam crisis in public hospitals; rural communities struggling to access care and the shuttering of private hospitals and services," Dr McMullen said.
"It's clear reform is urgently needed across multiple facets of our system," she said.
"These issues are impacting everyday Australians the most. They can be seen in the emergency department waiting rooms, and on the faces of expectant mothers being told they'll have to travel to have their baby because their nearest maternity unit closed.
"These very real issues are causing anguish for so many Australians and will be front-of-mind for all of the medical leaders gathering for this crucial meeting."
The meeting will also include sessions on scope of practice and doctors' mental health and wellbeing.
"The final report of Professor Mark Cormack's scope of practice review was released late last year, and since then we have been urging the federal government to take a cautious approach in its response," Dr McMullen said.
"We are facing many challenges with medical workforce shortages, but instead of making decisions based on anecdotes, we need an independent national workforce planning agency to ensure any changes are backed by solid evidence.
"We are looking forward to talking through these issues today and emphasising the importance of enhancing GP-led multidisciplinary care through better funding models and improvements to the many reforms currently underway in general practice."
Attendees will also receive an update from Ahpra and the Medical Board of Australia on future reform plans for the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.
"Australia's medical workforce is renowned for delivering high quality healthcare with exceptional outcomes for patients, underpinned by a profession-led model of training. We are deeply concerned that some health ministers want to undermine the role of medical colleges while failing to address the need to invest in building a medical workforce for the future," Dr McMullen said.
Colleges, associations and societies represented at the meeting:
- Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists
- Australasian College for Emergency Medicine
- Australasian College of Dermatologists
- Australian & New Zealand Intensive Care Society
- Australian & New Zealand Society for Vascular Surgery
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
- Australian Orthopaedic Association
- Australian Rheumatology Association
- Australian Society of Ophthalmologists
- Australian Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine
- Cardiac Society of Australia & New Zealand
- Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia & New Zealand
- College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia & New Zealand
- General Surgeons Australia
- Internal Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand
- National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
- Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia & New Zealand
- Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
- Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
- Rural Doctors Association of Australia
- Urological Society of Australia & New Zealand
