Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President, with 'The Breaky Crue', StarFM, Port Macquarie, NSW

QUESTION: Welcome to the 'Breaky Show'.

PHELPS: Thank you. Nice to be here.

QUESTION: This is the holiday coast, too.

PHELPS: Oh beautiful, and better weather today than yesterday.

QUESTION: Just a little. Although we did need the rain, though.

PHELPS: Yes I'm told that the area needs the rain. So, good to see it.

QUESTION: You brought the rain with you. Now, it's all about the election campaign. As a lobby group, I mean, the AMA, it has some concerns that it has to put. So do you think it's important you go to the people? Because you were in Bendigo or Ballarat, somewhere. Nowra. You've been through some other electorates haven't you, as well? Is it important to go out and talk to the people in the electorates?

PHELPS: Absolutely. It's essential. And we're talking about problems that we're seeing in the health system which we believe that the politicians with the will and the knowledge can actually fix. And so what we're doing is going around talking to doctors who are working in the system. Talking to nurses, going to the hospitals, having meetings of doctors, going into doctors practices. And just saying, 'Well, you know, how are things for you? Any problems? What can we do to help?' And, for example, yesterday I went to a practice in Laurieton and talked to them. And they were telling me about how difficult it is to get GPs to go and work in that area.

QUESTION: Mmm. They're having a lot of trouble down there.

PHELPS: Yes, they've been having tremendous difficulties. There's a lot of reasons why that's difficult. Those things that I can take to Government and say, 'Listen, there is a problem in areas like this'. There shouldn't be a problem, I mean, it should be a place that people are fighting themselves to get into.

QUESTION: Yeah. Why wouldn't you want to live there?

PHELPS: And so, you know, we're trying to do our best to make sure that we're getting those problems back to the politicians. And to the public, so that the public are demanding answers as well. Last night, I was in Port Macquarie speaking to a group of Port Macquarie doctors.

QUESTION: So what do you need? I mean, you're obviously a bit of a fighter and you need a bit of a biffo to sort of make the politicians listen. I mean, are they now listening more? I mean, I know AMA's always been in there fighting. But I mean, since you've come on the scene, you've ruffled a few feathers haven't you?

PHELPS: Have you noticed?

QUESTION: You've seen off one Health Minister, haven't you?

PHELPS: Yes, what a shame.

QUESTION: But you would've liked another term to give him another round of the kitchen, would you?

PHELPS: Oh no. We'll look forward to breaking in a new Health Minister.

QUESTION: Yeah. There'll be a new one. But I mean, I suppose what my question is, how hard do you have to kick and scream to make these guys and ladies take notice of your organisation's concerns?

PHELPS: Sometimes you have to make a big noise. And I prefer to be able to sit down and speak to people, explain things to them, talk to them about our concerns and be listened to. But sometimes, if that's just not happening, you have to go to the public. And if there is a conflict between you and the particular politician that you're dealing with then, it does have the appearance of a fight, I will say. But it's not one that we choose to bring on.

QUESTION: Well, the photos in the papers, and things like that, they like to blow it up, don't they?

PHELPS: Oh they do. But people need to know. You know, I think the public owns the health system. The politicians don't own it. The doctors don't own it. The public owns it. And I think, if you're talking about our public hospitals, then people want to have a secure system and they know that if they're sick, they can get into hospital, they won't have to wait, forever. And that they'll get treatment which is world quality.

QUESTION: Kerryn, I have a very important question. It's about your private life. What's it like when Mike Munro walks in with a big red book? What do you do?

PHELPS: Well, I was a bit speechless, I have to say. Well, that thought goes through your head. Do I want go through with this? And it's just this shock and you think, 'My God, what are they doing here?' And then you realise they've got the red book there. And you think 'Okay, so that's what's happening'.

QUESTION: Do you just go "Oh, shit"? Did they fully come and surprise you? Put you on the spot. Where were you when they got you?

PHELPS: I was actually just come back from the airport, from Canberra, I'd been down at Federal AMA, and flew in and they called me on my intercom and said "Can you come in, one of your friends has got really bad abdominal pains and we thing they have appendicitis". And so I said "I'll be right there", so I whipped in and my friend was there, and I go into my surgery, and it's full of people, and I close the door again, because I thought 'hang on a second, there is something going on', they aren't people that's the camera crew.

QUESTION: Then did mike walk in with that big stupid grin on his face?

PHELPS: He was lurking behind the door.

QUESTION: He is a lurker…

QUESTION: I think they have Roy and HG hosting the election, haven't they? Channel 7? Yeah, they're good. Nothing's sacred. Well Kerryn thank you very much for taking the time out and popping in this morning.

PHELPS: My pleasure. It's been great to be here.

QUESTION: And you're back to Sydney again this afternoon?

PHELPS: Yes, back into it.

QUESTION: Yes, and thank you for the caps.

PHELPS: You're welcome.

QUESTION: They're very cool.

PHELPS: Yes, you'll see the AMA caps all over Port Macquarie.

QUESTION: In night clubs there will be drunken females, giving these away, yeah I'll sign them and give them away. You should have your signature on them, Kerryn.

PHELPS: No worries.

QUESTION: One thing we need to do before you go, we are starting a little photo album just here on the panel so we just need to take a silly little photograph, and it'll all be done. Thank you very much for coming in once again.

PHELPS: Great to be here. Bye.

Ends