Elected party must prioritise healthcare

Transcript: AMA Queensland President, Dr Nick Yim, 4BC, Afternoons with Sofie Formica, Monday 7 October 2024

Subjects: LNP and Labor health promises

SOFIE FORMICA: Well, I mentioned earlier in the show that the LNP has released its full plan for Queensland health services. They've announced a $590 million plan to address the problems in the sector if voted into power. David Crisafulli has vowed to get ambulance ramping down to under 30 per cent within the first term, stopping the surgery waitlist from growing any bigger within 12 months. It's all spelt out in black and white in the release today, a little further down, it also talks about satellite hospitals, saying they'll be bolstered with additional CT and MRI services for referred patients. They will be available seven days a week so that they can take pressure off emergency departments, and it says they'll be appropriately renamed in consultation with medical experts, so satellite hospitals would be renamed. It was announced back in January that the LNP would do this if they won the election. But unless I've been living under a rock and I've covered a fair bit of reading on this, I hadn't seen it gain very much attention. Now, on the debate on Thursday night, through the questions that were asked, while we received very little detail, and I guess it was because we knew we were going to continue to be drip fed policy. Several times, David Crisafulli mentioned the AMA Queensland. It did leave me wondering whether or not the basis of the health plan that would be put forward would be a lot of what AMA Queensland had been calling for. So I thought there would be no one better to talk to about this other than AMA Queensland President Dr Nick Yim.

DR NICK YIM: Good afternoon, Sofie.

SOFIE FORMICA: Okay, so I've got to say, Dr Yim, that's what I thought the other night. A few times the Opposition Leader mentioned AMA Queensland. Listening to industry, having the right people at the table to make decisions, it's been something that I've been hearing a lot from those in your profession. I'd love to get an idea of how you have interpreted this policy announcement today.

DR NICK YIM: Yeah. So obviously I think we as Queenslanders know our healthcare system is under strain. Over the past couple of years, we have seen a big influx of population. At the same time, we do have an ageing population and with an ageing population that also increases the rate of chronic disease. So the announcement of over half a billion dollars of funding to the healthcare sector, it is welcome news and it's something where AMA Queensland has been calling on from both sides of government. Obviously we have had the previous Ramping Roundtable recommendations. We had our Surgical Round Table recommendations and we've also got our Election Priorities. So both sides of politics have our priorities, and it's promising that some of these plans are being implemented in some of those policies that are being announced.

SOFIE FORMICA: I would think too, Dr Yim, that in addition to the population stresses that we have, it's also systemic, though a lot of this is about the processes that are in place. And, um, my frustration Thursday night was that the questions that I couldn't ask, and one of them was, uh, whether or not Queensland Health needs a complete overhaul

DR NICK YIM: Yeah. As we know, Queensland is a very, very big state. So obviously I've been to Gold Coast, I've been to Cairns. We've heard from members out from Mount Isa in western Queensland. I'm based in Hervey Bay. So obviously our healthcare needs in regional rural areas are different to a metropolitan area. So it's very welcoming that we are going to get some input from the local health areas, because the needs in those local health areas are different compared to Brisbane, for example.

SOFIE FORMICA: This plan to reduce ambulance ramping headline is great to the idea of getting it under 30 per cent. At the moment it sits at 45.5 per cent in the last quarter. As I said, great headline. Is there enough in the plan that you think makes this an actual possibility? He's giving himself a fair runway. We're talking about the first term, so it's getting it below 30 per cent over a four year period. Do you think it's possible?

DR NICK YIM: Yeah. So ultimately, the devil is in the detail. With regards to reducing those numbers, I guess it's not just about the ramping, it's the flow through the healthcare system. So we've spoken about workforce. So obviously we do need to ensure that there's enough workforce available. So that's doctors, nurses, allied health. At the same time we do need beds, and we need to ensure that our hospital and healthcare sector is working efficiently, so we ensure that there is patient flow even on weekends.

SOFIE FORMICA: For example, I know that one of the things you mentioned there was ageing population. We know that we still have too many beds in our hospitals trying to pick up the slack for the aged care sector, as well.

DR NICK YIM: Absolutely. That's one of the challenges. And we know that, for example, in the community, we know that I guess general practice, primary care, they do keep patients well and they do keep patients out of hospital. So we do need to ensure that both sides of politics are investing appropriately in the primary care sector. We've heard from the LNP with regards to the payroll tax exemption. And obviously today we've also heard that the ALP has also extended the $40,000 incentive to train general practitioners out to 2030. So those are positive announcements, and we do need to ensure all parts of the politics are committing to these promises.

SOFIE FORMICA: Certainly at the core of this it seems that the LNP is also saying that one of the problems that needs to be addressed is too much administration. Do you agree with that?

DR NICK YIM: We do need to ensure that we are listening to people on the front line. So those are the doctors, nurses, allied health. We need to ensure that those plans and those policies make sense for those areas, regional rural areas and not comparing a Brisbane plan into a regional plan, for example.

SOFIE FORMICA: Yeah, but working as a clinician, you would get some indication as to whether or not that's one of the roadblocks that we currently have.

DR NICK YIM: We do need to ensure that there is additional collaboration. We do want to ensure that executive and administration staff are liaising with that front line staff.

SOFIE FORMICA: I know you said the devil's in the detail. It always is and only time will tell. But just at first, cursory read through and understanding and the conversations that you've had to this point, is there anything missing from this policy that's been put forward today by the LNP that you think is missing?

DR NICK YIM: At first glance it is very, very positive. I think it's something where these plans and from both sides of politics, it's highly commendable that both of them are putting that investment into healthcare. So it's positive to see the LNP announcement today. Obviously over the next couple of days, we will look through it more closely and we'll ask the necessary questions as the election nears.

SOFIE FORMICA: And as it stands at the moment with the current government and the way things are running, is there anything missing from what they are suggesting they would change moving forward if they find themselves remaining in power?

DR NICK YIM: At AMA Queensland, we always work with the government of the day. We continue to work with our current government to ensure that we are putting Queenslanders first. The payroll tax exemption must apply to all private practice. We need to ensure that there is collaboration involved. So any projects that we do put forward, that we ensure that they are collaborating with doctors, nurses, allied health to ensure there's an appropriate pair.

SOFIE FORMICA: Is the connection line open? Nick, do you get the opportunity to speak to the right people? If you've got questions, suggestions or feedback?

DR NICK YIM:  Absolutely. So AMA Queensland, we do have the benefit of talking to both sides of politics. They're very open to conversation. We discuss our views and points and they have taken a lot of AMA Queensland's election priorities on board, along with the Ambulance Ramping Roundtable and the Surgical Wait List Roundtable. It's positive we do have that open communication.

SOFIE FORMICA: Thank you so much for your time this afternoon.