Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President - Radio 2CC

PHELPS: Good afternoon.

PRYOR: We're flat out, I've got to tell you this afternoon, so we'll squeeze you in here. Tell me a little bit about the policies that came out of the National Youth Health Summit.

PHELPS: Well, this was a very important summit. It brought together a number of agencies from right around Australia who are vitally interested in the area of adolescent health. It seems that adolescent health really falls between the areas of child health and adult health, and yet it is a very highly specialised area. So, one of the things we're calling for is for adolescent health to be seen as a specialised area with its very own special areas, that need to be considered as separate from child and or health. Along that line, we also have been calling for a youth health policy for both Federal Government and Opposition, and whoever is in power after the next election. We would like to see them establish an Office of Youth Health, that has a specific portfolio, and look at areas that are quite special for that age group.

PRYOR: Because, young people in the 21st Century are certainly under more stress, and pressure than ever before.

PHELPS : They are under a lot of pressure, and there are, I guess, problems that have been around also for a great deal of time but, are being more spoken-about now, and more recognised and we're certainly seeing a lot of lip service being paid to the problems of mental health, youth suicide and depression; drug and alcohol abuse; sexual abuse; children who are the victims or witnesses of domestic violence; children who are marginalised for one reason or another, whether it be social, cultural, by reason of their concerns about their own sexuality. They might be having worries with their family or their peers, and these are the areas that need to be desperately dealt with in a responsible way and a well funded way so that we don't carry those problems over to the next generation.

PRYOR: Certainly, there is a large number of youth health services at the moment too, which indicate that things have definitely……that there is problems out there.

PHELPS: There might be quite a few services but they're very poorly funded, and they really suffer from not being able to do nearly enough. I mean, I work in general practice and, if I have a young person that is going through great difficulty it is very difficult to be able to refer them to an effective counselling service, to a drug and alcohol service, and quite often they have to collide with the health service by way of a major problem, whether it be a suicide attempt, or you know, some other kind of near miss, before they can be taken onboard by the services because they're so overwhelmed with referrals.

PRYOR: Some of the issues you raised are solid, sustainable, infrastructure and appropriate levels of training for GPs.

PHELPS: Well, I think it's very important that GPs are well aware of the very special issues that are faced by young people, and it takes time to be able to earn the trust of young people, and of any patient really, but I mean, young people who are perhaps not accustomed to talking about their feelings and about their problems. It really takes time to be able to earn their trust and spend the time you need to talk to them. Now, Medicare can play a role here, we'd like to see Medicare cards issues automatically to young people, at the age of 15, so that they don't have to separately specially apply, even though they can. Ideally, they would do that with the cooperation of their parents, but sometimes it's the parents that are the source of the problem, and its very difficult for a young person to actually say, "Look, I need to see a doctor about you, or about some problem within the family", or it might be something that they feel very uncomfortable talking about to their parent, but, need reassurance from a trusted adult.

PRYOR: And wouldn't necessarily go to a youth worker, but probably confide in the doctor?

PHELPS: Well, the GP is usually the first port of call for somebody with any problems, like drug and alcohol abuse, or emotional concerns that are impacting on their health. The other thing that we really need to do is to look at insuring that doctors are able, through the Medicare rebate system, to spend more time with young people, so that they can be able to take the time that you really need to be able to talk to somebody about the problems they're facing.

PRYOR: Not just whisk them out the door.

PHELPS: That's right.

PRYOR: Yes. Increased education and information for young people and how to use the health care system is one of things your calling for, also a bit more bipartisan understanding here, on the youth health policy?

PHELPS: Well, I think this is very important, and we would be looking to all major parties in the lead up to the next election, and in fact, at the launch the other day, I was approached by the Leader of the Young Democrats who asked "What can we do to help?", and I said, "Ensure that this becomes party policy". We would like to see all major parties adopt this policy as their own, and to say, "Yes we are prepared to establish an Office of Youth Health, to listen to what young people have to say". Because it's no use imposing decisions on young people that are not relevant to them, for the age group and for their cultural situation. We must ask the young people what it is that they want and need, and make sure that it's relevant to them.

PRYOR: Hence the summit in July, and this is what has come from that summit.

PHELPS: It has, and I think that it's been a very constructive event, and I think that the document that has come out of that is one that has the support of all of the various adolescent health services and the groups that are providing very much needed help to young people, and the more that we can work together, with groups and provide cohesive infrastructure and collaboration, cooperation between different agencies, the better. We don't want to see people reinventing the wheel, we need to capitalise on what has been working and build on that and make sure that good projects are well funded.

PRYOR: Yes, absolutely, good to catch up with you once again.

PHELPS: Glad to talk to you.

PRYOR: AMA President, Doctor Kerryn Phelps, thanks for your time.

PHELPS: Thank you, bye.

Ends