AMA Queensland Council Communiqué 2022

Dear Members,

The AMA Queensland Council met on 22 March 2022. This is Council’s first meeting of the year and I would like to thank all Councillors for volunteering their time to represent the membership and support the advocacy work of AMA Queensland.

Establishment of Committee of Consultant Specialists

AMA Queensland has conducted an in-depth review of the Council and Board Committees and Working Groups governance and operational structures.  To assist Council in its role, it has established three standing committees: Committee of Doctors in Training, Committee of General Practice and Committee of Consultant Specialists. 

Given the scope of the VMO Committee is specifically to determine and advocate on issues relevant to VMOs, it was recommended that a new committee be formed to support all non-GP specialists and that the VMO Committee be transitioned to a working group of this new committee.

Council had a discussion around the most appropriate terminology that defines specialists who are not GPs with the majority voting on the term “Consultant Specialists”. 

The AMA Queensland Council resolved to establish a Committee of Consultant Specialists and approved the adoption of its Terms of Reference.  There will shortly be a call for expressions of interest from the specialist craft group membership for the Committee of Consultant Specialists.

Establishment of International Medical Graduate (IMG) Working Group

Dr Emilia Dauway, IMG Representative, provided the background to the proposed establishment of an IMG Working Group. The AMA Queensland Council recognises that there are challenges unique to IMGs’ work experiences in the Australian health care system which may be difficult for IMGs to resolve without support. An IMG working group would aim to gain understanding and clarity of the most significant challenges facing IMGs and develop policy to resolve those challenges.

An early priority for the group would be to establish a survey to understand what issues and challenges are facing IMGs and guide the Working Group in addressing priority issues such as training and IMGs’ working experience.

The AMA Queensland Council resolved to establish an International Medical Graduate Working Group and approved the adoption of its Terms of Reference.

AMA Queensland Position Statement on Drug Law Reform in Queensland

In August 2021, Council approved the establishment of the Drug Law Reform Roundtable. Representations included the Commissioner from Corrections, Queensland Police Service, Mental Health Commissioner, advocates from the Community Sector, Drug and Alcohol experts, and lived experience consumers.

Council endorsed the position statement on Drug Law Reform in Queensland. AMA Queensland call attention to the need to change from enforcement and penalties to a better health response which decreases the burden on police, the court system and corrections while improving access to treatment and support services for offenders. 

2022 AMA Queensland Events

The General Manager, Member Services and Strategic Partnerships provided an update on the proposed events for 2022, noting a strong regional focus with the Junior Doctor Conference planned for Cairns and the Gold Coast as well as Private Practice Seminars in Townsville, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Brisbane.

The Careers Expo, a new event, already has over 100 registrations and is fully booked for trade stands. The Clinical Skills Development Workshop will be hosted by Clinical Skills Development Service (CSDS). A second Women in Medicine Breakfast will be held in Townsville. The Foundation Charity Fundraising Dinner will be held on 20 May. The Annual Conference will be going ahead this year in the Northern Territory during the June/July school holidays and plans are also underway for a Senior Doctors Conference in August 2022.

Sustainability ideas and initiatives

The CEO advised that he met with Prof Keith McNeil regarding the commitment to climate change policy and noted that Queensland is lagging behind in the investment in solar panels within health systems. This will be included in the pre-budget submission to reduce emissions by 2040 to zero.

Council discussed the need for education to private practices to demonstrate the sustainable and financial benefits of investing in solar. It was agreed that a webinar should be delivered to members with more information on this topic. Keep an eye out for this important webinar.

There is a suggestion that AMA Queensland consider hosting a ‘Sustainability in Medicine’ forum to discuss evidence based improvements in sustainable medicine. Watch this space…

President’s Report

President, Dr Chris Perry, has continued to advocate on numerous issues impacting the profession through his regular meetings with the Health Minister, Opposition leader, Shadow Health Minister, senior members of Queensland Health and other relevant stakeholders. 

Border openings, Omicron, RATs and COVID boosters kept the President in the media over the holiday period. The Pharmacy Guild’s Pilot for autonomous prescribing by pharmacists for a host of acute and chronic conditions has been strongly opposed. Satellite hospitals that are proposed to be nurse-led is yet another initiative that will lead to fragmentation of care.

The President has been vocal about the parlous state of public hospitals in Australia, the ambulance ramping and bed block and calling for urgent action through AMA Queensland’s Ramping Roundtable Action Plan.

The Drug Law Reform Committee has developed a position statement promoting reform via a medical pathway with a focus on treatment and support.

The President congratulates Dr John Gerrard as he takes up the office of Chief Health Officer.

Chief Executive Officer’s Report

CEO, Brett Dale, provided an update on the many areas that AMA Queensland has supported, promoted and advocated for, on behalf of the medical profession in Queensland including:

• COVID in the community – AMAQ continues to advocate to ensure members are well supported to manage COVID in the community.
• Emergency Departments Roundtable – The Ramping Roundtable Action Plan makes a series of recommendations to address ED block and ramping in Queensland public hospitals.
• Drug Law Reform – AMAQ’s position statement on drug law reform in Queensland places the emphasis on a medical approach where treatment and support is provided. 
• Mental Health – In December 2021 the Queensland Government announced an inquiry into the mental health system in Queensland. This follows sustained pressure by RANZCP to hold a Royal Commission into the state of the mental health system in Queensland supported by ongoing advocacy by AMA Queensland to address the long waiting lists for children and adults to see a Psychiatrist, and the workforce shortages in Queensland. The President and Vice President gave evidence at a parliamentary committee on 17 February 2022.  
• Q-Script – AMAQ has received many comments and enquiries from members concerned about penalties for non-compliance. AMAQ has confirmed that the Department’s compliance approach over the next 12 months is about encouraging doctors to register and starting using QScript.
• Vaping/E-cigarettes - AMA Queensland does not support the use of e-cigarettes as a quit smoking strategy because of the limited evidence supporting their use in cessation. The AMA’s view is that GPs, in working with their patients, should not feel pressured to prescribe vaping products.
• North Queensland Pharmacy Trial – The proposed trial will see participating pharmacists in 37 Local Government Areas in North Queensland diagnosing a number of medical conditions, then prescribing and dispensing medications without any reference or collaboration with medical professionals. AMAQ has been clear about the numerous risks with this trial including risk of missed diagnoses and misdiagnosis, fragmentation of care, undermining antimicrobial stewardship and the financial conflict inherent in prescribing and dispensing.  AMAQ has launched an extensive advocacy plan including a public webpage, targeted media campaign and an MP pack – please feel free to download and send letters to your local MP.
• Healthcare Funding – AMA key focus nationally is leading the election campaign with a focus on funding public hospitals and primary care appropriately.

For more information, please head to our website to access AMAQ Media statements, position statements and AMAQ submissions.

Q4 Scorecard is a quick guide to the AMA Queensland’s activities, achievements and advocacy efforts on behalf of Queensland members in the last quarter of 2021.

Committee and Working Group Reports

Committee of General Practice Chair’s Report – Dr Maria Boulton

• CGP contributed to the submission and Chair presented at the Parliamentary Inquiry into the provision of primary, allied and private healthcare, aged care and NDIS services and its impact on the Qld public health system.
• Opposition to the North Queensland pharmacy trial - contributed to correspondence, media and joint advocacy with RACGP and ACRRM.
• COVID – pathways for care of COVID patients in community, vaccine program, PPE for GPs, fit testing and priority PCR testing
• Working collaboratively with RANZCP for increased resources for mental health
• Advocating for clarification of health directions on how they affect general practice eg masks
• Reinstatement of Medicare rebates for telephone consultations

Committee of Doctors in Training Chair’s Report – Dr Rob Nayer

• AMAQ CDT have adopted a new internal structure
• AMAQ CDT looking at lack of education and training activity between PGY2 and vocational training especially at PHO category; doctor in training wellbeing and increasing involvement in policy generation.
• Federal CDT focus is on improving management of College examinations, AMC review of specialist college accreditation standards, national trainee concerns, CDT strategic plan and determining key priority issues for 2022.

Committees and Working Group Review Team Chair’s Report – Dr Eleanor Chew

• The Review Team has completed its objectives to review and propose a revised operational structure of committees and working groups of Council. 
• All recommendations have been adopted and the Review Team has concluded its work.

Councillor Reports

Councillors are encouraged to provide reports to Council particularly if there are issues of relevance within their specific representative groups that would be of interest to Council and would inform discussions.  Thank you to the following Councillors who provided reports.

• Dr Dilip Dhupelia, Immediate Past President
• Dr Maria Boulton, Greater Brisbane Area Representative
• A/Prof Geoffrey Hawson, Senior Doctors Representative
• Dr Vikas Moudgil, Greater Brisbane Area Representative
• Dr Nick Yim, General Practice Representative
• Dr Sarah Coll, Specialist Craft Group Representative

The Chair acknowledged that Dr Sarah Coll has resigned from Council and expressed thanks for her contributions.

AMA Queensland Council is your representative body. Please feel free to contact me or any of your representative Councillors on any issues that you would like raised at Council. 
Contact AMA Queensland Council Members

Regards,

Dr Eleanor Chew
Chair, AMA Queensland Council