Australian Medical Association

An increasing number of Australians are at a high risk of serious disease and premature death because of excess body weight or obesity. The National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Clinical Guidelines on the Management of Overweight and Obesity is an important resource for medical practitioners who identify and support patients who are overweight and obese.  Medical practitioners also play a preventive role in identifying those patients who are at risk of becoming overweight, particularly children and young people.  

The AMA believes that a key challenge is to ensure that the Clinical Guidelines are practical and easy for medical practitioners to adopt as part of their clinical practice.  The AMA's Submission highlights the key role of medical practitioners in preventing overweight and obesity, particularly among children and young people, as well as providing support to those patients who wish to lose or maintain their current body weight.  The AMA Submission advocates around the development (with appropriate consultation) of practical resources, such as short term eating plans, evidence summaries, multi media videos and fact sheets that can support medical practitioners and patients in this area.

Food provides our bodies with the energy, protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals to live, grow and function properly.  Concerning trends have been observed in the eating habits of many Australians and the implications are serious. The National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Draft Australian Dietary Guidelines 2011 provides population level guidance on healthy eating patterns and related guidance for health professionals.  

The AMA's Submission highlights that a range of measures is needed to improve nutritional literacy, including education on energy needs and portion sizes, improved food labelling, and affordable access to healthy food options.  The AMA Submission also identifies a need for practical resources aimed at medical practitioners including access to a database of locally available supports such dieticians, healthy cooking classes and walking groups.

The AMA has identified medical workforce shortage as a major health issue. The Regional/Rural Workforce Initiatives - 2012 Position Statement looks at all the issues affecting workforce shortages in regional and rural Australia and outlines initiatives and measures which would offer solutions to the current workforce shortage.

The AMA has provided a submission to the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) in response to their discussion paper Linked Dual-Trained Physician Care in Rural Communities. The AMA supports efforts to improve patient access to to medical care in regional and rural Australia and the RACP model has merit for further development. It needs more detail and refinement to ensure such a model is attractive for potential trainees, effective in delivering care and sustainable in the long term for rural communities.

The AMA has reviewed the Government’s Draft Ten Year Roadmap for National Mental Health Reform (the Roadmap) and is pleased to see that some of the directions set out in the plan incorporate elements of the AMA Position Statement on Mental Health 2011, in particular those Roadmap actions related to reducing stigma and discrimination, increasing access to early intervention and support and improving accessibility of mental health and support services. The AMA has nevertheless critiqued the Government on funding cuts to the Better Access Program (as this action does not match the policy intent outlined in the Roadmap to improve provision of mental health and support services to those who need them) and for failing to adequately recognise the vital and increasing role that GPs play in caring for patients with a mental health issue and their families. The AMA comments also highlighted the importance of specifically targeted programs for special needs groups, and the need to develop measures to address systemic barriers to mental health services.

The AMA submission to government on Regionally Tailored Primary Health Care Initiatives through Medicare Locals Fund comments on the role of Medicare Locals, the creation of the Medicare Locals National Body and the utilisation of funds set aside for Medicare Locals.  The AMA highlights the need for Medicare Locals to support GPs in caring for patients, for clarity and transparency in how funds are allocated, and stresses that any savings from the consolidation of funding arrangements must be directed towards supporting services for patients. 

The AMA has identified the medical workforce shortage as a major health issue with the overall distribution of doctors being skewed heavily towards major cities such that regional, rural and remote areas shoulder a disproportionate workforce shortage burden. There is a strong preference amongst much of the current medical workforce to live and work in major cities. So much so that attracting young professionals to rural locations is extremely difficult. The AMA believes the factors affecting the supply of medical workforce in rural areas should be viewed in the context of generalism; remuneration and incentives; hospital infrastructure; compensation and family support; costs of establishing a practice and access to community; high on-call demands and the need for rosters and locum services;and recruitment of international medical graduates (IMG) doctors.The submission makes a series of recommendations addressing these issues as well as the effect of the introduction of Medicare Locals, anomalies with the ASGC scheme and the need to extend MBS telehealth items.

Did you know that the RACGP Vocational Training Standards are changing? The new draft standards involve significant change and a move to an outcomes based approach. Supervisors and doctors-in-training have expressed concern about some elements of the draft standards. Find out what the changes to the Vocational Training Standards could mean for you by reading our submission.

The provision of out-of-hours care is a key part of general practice. The AMA Out-of-Hours Primary Medical Care 2011 position statement has been developed to guide the design of these services, outlining the essential feature of a successful model of out-of-hours primary medical care.

This submission responds to the HWA draft background paper - Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform Strategy released in July 2011 as part of the consultation process.

The AMA believes it is important that the Government gets it right to ensure that the health workforce in rural and remote areas is sustainable and that people in rural communities can access affordable, appropriate health care services when needed.

National Minimum Terms and Conditions for GP Registrars - revised November 2011

The 2010 agreement has been updated and contains the rates which apply from the start of the 2012 training year.

On 2 August 2011, the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments finalised the National Health Reform Agreement. A summary of the Agreement's key points can be found here.

As part of a service to all of our members the AMA has mediated an agreement between GP Registrars and GP Supervisors that sets out minimum terms and conditions for GP Registrars. This agreement is negotiated every two years by the National GP Supervisors Association (NGPSA) and GP Registrars Australia (GPRA), with the AMA's assistance.

The 2011 agreement applies from the start of the 2011 training year.

The AMA has long campaigned for better indexation of Medicare schedule fees so that patients receives appropriate rebates for their medical care. The AMA Gaps Poster shows the effect of the difference between the indexatin of Medicare Schedule fees and the indices for Consumer Price Index and average weekly earnings.

The poster is produced to assist doctors to explain to their patients why they might have to pay a gap for their medical care.

The reform of Australia's primary health care system has paid scant attention to the health of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. The 2010-11 AMA Indigenous Health Report Card identifies the barriers that Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders experience in accessing high quality primary health care, and makes a series of recommendations on how these barriers can be removed through collaboration and integration between services and health sectors. The AMA believes that the health of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strair Islanders is everyone's responsibility.

The reform of Australia's primary health care system has paid scant attention to the health of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. The 2010-11 AMA Indigenous Health Report Card identifies the barriers that Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders experience in accessing high quality primary health care, and makes a series of recommendations on how these barriers can be removed through collaboration and integration between services and health sectors. The AMA believes that the health of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strair Islanders is everyone's responsibility.

The purpose of this Guideline is to clarify the responsibilities of medical practitioners, patients, and relevant third parties regarding certificates certifying illness ("sickness certificates") within the context of the doctor-patient relationship.

Medicare Locals have the potential to impact on a wide range of health care services.  The AMA believes they should be introduced in a manner consistent with the AMA's overall health vision and which is respectful of the exisitng role of the General Practitioner and other community based specialists.   This position statement includes details of the AMA position on the governance, functionality, accountability, fundholding and boundaries of Medicare Locals.

Australia has an excellent record of achievement in disease prevention through immunisation including a high level of safety and quality of vaccines delivered within general practice.  It is important the community has a similar level of confidence for vaccination services delivered outside of general practice.  To help maintain this excellent record the AMA encourages any provider delivering vaccine services outside of general practice to adhere to the ten principles included in this Position Statement. 

In its submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing Inquiry into registration processes and support for Overseas Trained Doctors, the AMA calls for removal of the 10 year International Medical Graduates (IMG) moratorium and greater support for IMGs trying to achieve specialist registration through access to other GP training, courses.

AMA has supported the need for reform to Australia's health system, particularly the issue of responsibility for public hospitals and the linkages with other parts of the health system such as primary care and aged care.  The Government has said Medicare Locals are the mechanism to improve these linkages.  Our usual preference would be for less bureaucratic mechanisms than are suggested in the discussion paper.  We represent doctors who like to behave in an efficient manner, responsive to the needs of their patients, to be independent and accountable to their patients and free, to the maximum extent possible, of bureaucratic red tape.

Report of AMACGP Meeting; AMA meets with NIS Consultants; National Registration; AMA Poll on Junk Food Advertising; International Medical Graduates

This information package will assist a General Practitioner to make a decision about moving into a corporate practice.

This covers many of the issues you need to consider when making the decision.  This tells you what a corporate is, what matters you need to think about in closing your existing practice, what will life be like working for a corporate and maybe afterwards.

This Position Statement examines the role of general practice in the delivery of primary care services in Australia.

Seasonal influenza vaccines for children; Support Family Doctors petition; Telemedicine an important component of a modern health system; Online resources on doctors’ health and wellbeing

We've had a Great response to the 'Support Family Doctors campaign' and the more signatures we have to present to the government, the bigger the impact. If you have not yet signed the petition or would like to print out a copy for your patients to sign please visit our 'Support Family Doctors Website'.

The Department of Health and Ageing is calling for applications under the Primary Care Infrastructure Grants Scheme.  Money is being made available to help GP clinics upgrade facilities and to provide new or additional facilities. Applications close on 20 August 2010.

The AMA had prepared a guide for doctors considering applying.

Coalition health policy – strong initiatives to stimulate the health debate; misleading claims about vaccination putting Australian lives at risk; general practice lobby kit; Support Family Doctors campaign materials; PIP teaching incentive.

GP Lobby Kit; Senate Contacts; House of Representative contacts; Summary for Politicians; Care for Patients with Chronic and Complex Needs; Key Health Issues; Support Family Doctors

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