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Broadband network offers new and improved opportunities in health care
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the National Broadband Network offers exciting new and improved opportunities in the provision of health care, especially in rural, regional, and remote areas of the country.
Dr Pesce said that the availability of high speed, broadband internet access would allow rural and remote Australians to have access to medical services that they would otherwise have to travel hours to access.
Aged care policies must include medical care
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the AMA was pleased to hear Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, announce this morning that the Coalition’s aged care policy would be released ‘in the next few days’.
Dr Pesce said that aged care has so far been ignored in this election campaign
GP Network News Issue 10, Number 26 - 30 July 2010
Support Family Doctors campaign materials; Updated advice on the use of seasonal influenza vaccine for children; Collaborative arrangements will provide better care for patients; A national disability insurance scheme must be at the core of any national disability strategy; Labor increases mental health investment but more needed
Collaborative arrangements will provide better care for patients
The AMA welcomes the Government's introduction of new regulations that require midwives and nurse practitioners to collaborate with medical practitioners in order to provide Medicare-funded services to patients or prescribe them medications under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the new arrangements would provide a safer higher standard of care for patients.
“These new arrangements are the result of a comprehensive consultation process between the Government, doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives, throughout which the AMA played a constructive role,” Dr Pesce said.
Coordinated response needed to manage the health threats of climate change
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that Australia needs a National Strategy for Climate Change and Health to respond effectively to the health impacts of climate change.
The 2009 State of the Climate report, released today by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, confirmed that the past decade was the warmest on record and that the Earth has been growing warmer in the past 50 years.
A national disability insurance scheme must be at the core of any National Disability Strategy
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, today called on the major parties to commit to introducing a national disability insurance scheme.
Dr Pesce said a national disability insurance scheme must be at the core of any National Disability Strategy and should be one of the first decisions of the next Government.
Labor increases mental health investment but more needed
The AMA welcomes today’s announcement of a greater investment by Labor in mental health services.
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said it is another downpayment on the bigger long-term investment needed to make a real difference in meeting the growing mental health needs of the community.
“Today’s long overdue announcement from Labor recognises the problem of the lack of funding for mental health services,” Dr Pesce said.
President's email
Our health system needs fixing and this Federal election is the perfect time for doctors and patients to tell the major parties how to fix it. The AMA has produced a range of materials to assist people to have their say about health policy.
President's email
The Leaders’ Debate did nothing to reassure the Australian people that the major parties intend to have a serious conversation about fixing the health system that is currently failing Australian families. I firmly believe that voters are more concerned about being able to see a doctor, being able to have life-saving or life-enhancing surgery in a timely way, and not having to sit with sick children for hours in emergency departments than border security and stopping desperate people seeking a new life from the comfort of a leaky boat.
Boost for emergency departments
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that Labor’s emergency department package is a welcome boost to the pressured and overworked emergency departments in our public hospitals.
Dr Pesce said the new investment will increase the medical and nursing resources in emergency departments and provide a modest number of additional training opportunities in this area of medical workforce shortage for the additional cohort of medical students who are graduating from medical schools over the next few years.
“Emergency departments are at the frontline of public hospital services,” Dr Pesce said.
President's Blog, Friday 23 July 2010
You may have heard that the AMA has been highly critical of the Government’s proposed new plan for care for people with diabetes.
Their plan involves capped payments to general practices, it means patients are asked to forfeit their Medicare entitlements, and there is no guarantee that patients would always be under the care of their usual doctor.
We think there
is a better way to provide this care.
GP Network News Issue 10, Number 25 - 23 July 2010
AMA Family Doctor Week 2010; AMA launches patient petition to urge major parties to support family doctors; AMA releases health policy platform for Election 2010; Practice nurse policy needs constructive consultation to be fully effective – AMA survey; AMA President addresses National Press Club; Diabetes Advisory Group – decision without consultation or negotiation; Other top stories in Family Doctor Week; Family Doctor Week in the Medical Journal of Australia; Specialist register update
Patients want more time with their family doctors
Recent research conducted for the AMA by Essential Research found that 66 per cent of patients think that getting enough time with their family doctor is very important to their health.
The same research found that 62 per cent of patients visited their family doctor about one particular health issue at their last visit, while 30 per cent raised a range of different health issues.
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that a key element of health reform must be freeing up doctors from other constraints so they can maximise their time with patients.
“The family doctor is the first point of contact in the health system for most Australian families,” Dr Pesce said.
AMA in the News continued
AMA in the News continued from AMA Homepage
Practice nurse policy needs constructive consultation to be fully effective - AMA survey
An AMA survey has revealed that the Government’s extra funding to support general practices to employ practice nurses has the potential to be a huge success with family doctors but would be made far more effective through genuine consultation with the profession over the design and implementation of proposed arrangements to roll this funding out.
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the AMA has long been a strong advocate for more support for practice nurses working in general practices.
“Practice nurses have been a success story in improving patient access to care through general practices, with over 8500 now working with family doctors across the country,” Dr Pesce said.
Media Transcript - Q & A National Press Club with Dr Andrew Pesce
AMA President Dr Andrew Pesce answers questions from the media during his address to the National Press Club.
President's email
Today, I addressed the National Press Club to promote this week’s AMA Family Doctor Week, and to launch our Key Health Issues for the 2010 Federal Election – the AMA’s health policy wish list.
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, Speech to the National Press Club, Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Health Reform Can’t Wait
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting
today.
The AMA wants health to be the top priority in this election.
Health will make headlines this election – just as it has for the last
couple of years with the Government’s reform agenda.
Now is the time for the major parties to make their case for a fresh
mandate on health reform.
AMA releases health policy platform
The AMA today released Key Health Issues for the 2010 Federal
Election - a summary of the major health issues that the AMA
considers must be addressed by the major parties during the election
campaign.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra today,
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said the AMA’s health policies are
comprehensive, pragmatic and achievable.
“They build on what
works and suggest ways to improve what doesn’t, and they take the system
forward without disruption.
9. Rural Health
Key Health Issues for the 2010 Federal Election - Rural Health
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