Australian Medical Association

The AMA National Conference 2012 – celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the Federal AMA – will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne, from 25-27 May.

The Minister for Health, The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, and the Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing, The Hon Peter Dutton MP, will both address the Conference on Friday 25 May.

As a supporter of Food Allergy Awareness Week 2012, the AMA is urging enhanced public education programs to raise community awareness of potential food allergies and help people identify food products that may pose a risk to their health and the health of others.

Food Allergy Awareness Week, an initiative of Anaphylaxis Australia, promotes and develops the awareness of food allergy among Australians through education, research and ongoing support.

The AMA welcomes advice that the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) last week commenced an official audit of the Government’s troubled GP Super Clinics Program.

The ANAO will assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health and Ageing's (DoHA) administration of the GP Super Clinics Program, which was intended to support improved community access to integrated GP and primary health care services.

THE AMA is firmly engaged in the health reform process, and most AMA members are enthusiastic about the vision for shared electronic health records. They know that, with the right system, they can improve the patient healthcare experience. But as things stand with the Government's personally controlled electronic health records scheme, GPs are being asked to provide a new service for free. Doctors need greater support than what is on offer if the PCEHR is going to truly work.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that last night’s Budget cuts to Practice Incentive Payments (PIP) to GPs will have a double negative impact on the health system by penalising GPs for not meeting new higher targets for cervical cancer screening and specialised diabetes care and removing incentives for immunisation.

Dr Hambleton said these measures, along with changes to the e-health PIP, have the potential to pose serious public health risks and undermine successful preventive health programs that are providing health benefits to many Australians.

AMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 25 MAY – 27 MAY 2012
GRAND HYATT HOTEL, MELBOURNE

The AMA National Conference 2012 – celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the Federal AMA – will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne, from 25-27 May.

AMA President Dr Steve Hambleton says the AMA with other organisations are lobbying the Government to introduce new taxes on alcohol based on volume not price. He says taxes do modify behaviour as price does effect people's behaviour and spending.

The AMA welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement that the first stage of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will commence from July next year.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the AMA has been pushing for a national long-term care scheme for the severely disabled since 2003.

The AMA congratulates the Government on its Living Longer Living Better plan to support older Australians, in particular the measures to assist them to live in their homes for longer, but is disappointed that the issue of access to quality medical care has not been properly addressed.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said that the plan is a strong response to a policy area that has been long neglected, but the Government should have gone the extra step of giving older Australians the comfort of knowing they could get access to their doctors at a time of life when they most need them.

Dr Hambleton talks about the symptoms of toxic waste after road workers potentially uncovered some on the Pacific Highway. He says exposure can be measured.