President and CEO Update January 2022

 

Welcome to 2022. Any hopes the new year would bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic have been dashed by the Omicron variant, which is proving to be more contagious yet less severe than previous strains of the virus. Coinciding with the border reopening, Omicron is now throughout Queensland and our GPs and hospitals are under more pressure than ever.

 

Fortunately, the vaccination rate has picked up, booster shots are being rolled out, and children are being vaccinated. There are still issues with supply, and with mixed messaging from both the State and Federal Governments. AMA Queensland is continuing to work with the government to resolve these issues.
 

COVID-19

HealthDirect Australia has begun managing the treatment of COVID cases in the community, with the GP-led care pathway commencing on 24 January.

AMA Queensland and the Queensland GP Alliance remain concerned at the lack of communication to GPs and the community about how this rollout will work.

We have written to Queensland Health and the Minister calling for urgent communication to general practices about the implications of this new pathway, including their increasing role in caring for COVID patients in the community including high and medium risk groups.

GPs must have a dedicated hotline to call for advice on how to escalate care should patients deteriorate quickly, and must also be able to access escalation pathways for each Hospital and Health Service (HHS).

GPs and their staff have played a critical role in managing the pandemic over the past two years, including the vaccination rollout. They are exhausted and fed up with responses from all levels of government that put more pressure on practices without offering the PPE and other resources that are needed to carry out this vital work.

AMA Queensland and the Queensland GP Alliance will continue to update members on developments.
 

PRIORITY COVID TESTING

A number of Queensland pathology providers are performing priority COVID testing for doctors and health care workers.

4Cyte Pathology, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Mater Pathology and QML, have all provided information on their services. Thanks to Dr Maria Boulton for progressing this important issue for our members. You can find more information on the services available here.
 

NORTH QUEENSLAND PHARMACY TRIAL

We have called on the Queensland Government to rethink its confidential proposal to expand the role of pharmacists in North Queensland.

We believe the North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot involves serious conflicts of interest and would deliver second-rate health care.

Encouraging pharmacists to become de facto GPs and diagnose and treat a range of potentially serious health conditions – including prescribing and dispensing a range of medicines despite a lack of training – is a risk to public health.

GPs have on average 14 years of training. Pharmacists have four. Pharmacists do a great job and we rely on them every day, but they are not trained to diagnose and treat complex conditions.

We are yet to see any evaluation of the urinary tract infection (UTI) antibiotic trial, which risked unnecessary use of antibiotics and a potential increase of antimicrobial resistance in our community.

We know there are workforce shortages in North Queensland, but these communities deserve more GPs and the same quality health care services that are available in other parts of the state.

In better news, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has rejected proposals to allow the oral contraceptive pill to be sold over the counter at pharmacies.

The AMA vehemently opposed the applications, warning of the detrimental impact on patients.

The TGA supported our concerns and ruled against the move.
 

QUEENSLANDERS WITH DISABILITY

We are proud to have signed an open letter with the Queenslanders with Disability Network, Health Consumers Queensland and other aligned organisations, calling on all levels of government to prioritise COVID-19 safety measures for Queenslanders with disability.

The open letter is asking that NDIS participants have vital supplies, services and supports in the current Omicron environment such as access to Rapid Antigen Tests, PPE, vaccines and boosters.

The current COVID surge continues to present risks for our community and particularly Queenslanders with disability and we are asking for immediate action to protect and prioritise their safety.
 

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Since the beginning of the pandemic, our industrial relations partner, ASMOFQ (Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland), has been raising issues with Queensland Health regarding their COVID-19 response, safety for health care staff and workforce plans.

Last year, ASMOFQ successfully took Queensland Health to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) over the supply, access and fit-testing of PPE, and secured a commitment that no doctor would be forced to care for a patient without the appropriate PPE.

On Friday 7 January 2022, ASMOFQ took Queensland Health to the QIRC again seeking fit-testing of all doctors who will be required to wear N95/P2 respirators, clear and timely information provided to staff regarding their requirements for COVID testing and regarding workplace exposures, and special paid leave where staff are required to isolate.

ASMOFQ President Dr Hau Tan outlined the case on ABC Radio, and we urge all members to read the transcript.

ASMOFQ will start negotiating a new Medical Officers’ Certified Agreement (MOCA 6) this year.

The current agreement with Queensland Health expires in June 2022 and both ASMOFQ and AMA Queensland want to see entitlements and conditions prioritised for our frontline health heroes.

We will continue to keep members informed of MOCA6 negotiations and progress.
 

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT RAMPING

AMA Queensland’s Ramping Roundtable released its five-point Action Plan in early December to resolve the problems plaguing the public hospital system ahead of the inevitable COVID wave.

Emergency department (ED) staff are stretched to breaking point and need to see leadership, accountability and action. There are not enough beds and there are not enough staff. It is as simple as that.

Hospitals have no capacity to handle any surges that might come from COVID outbreaks, natural disasters, or other emergencies.

The Action Plan calls for:

• 1,500 more hospital beds across the state
• employing and training enough staff to keep acute hospitals fully functional seven days a week, with extended hours
• keeping hospitals operating at below 90 per cent capacity to allow for surges
• detailed analysis of patient flow within hospitals, and
• supporting alternative ways for patients to enter hospitals instead of through emergency departments (EDs).

You can read the Action Plan here. 
 

TELEHEALTH

In mid-January, the Federal Government reinstated COVID-19 telehealth items following an emergency meeting between the AMA and other peak medical bodies and the Federal Health and Regional Services Ministers.

The government also announced that nine million P2/N95 masks will be distributed to general practice over the next three months.

Under the restored telehealth arrangements, GPs and OMPs can access a Level C equivalent item for telephone consultations (92746 for GPs and 92747 for OMPs).

A total of 33 telehealth items by telephone for non-GP specialists and 40 inpatient telehealth items for practitioners required to isolate because of public orders have also been restored.

The AMA has also confirmed that telehealth consultations will still be counted towards Standard Whole Patient Equivalent calculations. The AMA advocated extensively for this change last year.

We understand that some non-GP specialists continue to be disadvantaged by the telehealth changes and are continuing to advocate on their behalf.
 

AUSTRALIA DAY HONOURS

We are immensely proud of all AMA Queensland members recognised in the Australia Day Honours List.

Professor Alfred Lam and Dr Margaret Kay have been awarded Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia – the second highest award.

A further seven members, including Past AMA Queensland President Gino Pecoraro, have been recognised with a Medal (OAM).

This recognition shows the extraordinary dedication that these AMA Queensland members have shown to their profession and their community.

Other members recognised with a Medal (OAM) are:

• Dr Marie-Frances Burke for services to medicine as an oncologist
• Dr Robert Edwards for service to medicine as a thoracic physician
• Dr Stephen Godfrey for service to medicine as an opthalmologist
• Dr Bradley Murphy for service to community health
• Dr Deborah Simmons for service to medicine through a range of roles
• Dr Harry Stalewski for service to medicine as a paedatrician surgeon and urologist.

You can read more about them in the autumn edition of Doctor Q.
 

QSCRIPT

After months of AMA Queensland and ASMOFQ pressure, Queensland Health has confirmed that it will commence the review of the current regulations governing the use of QScript in early 2022.

We recognise the important role that QScript is intended to play in minimising harm from dangerous medicines and we are aware that there has already been potential harm avoided to many patients as a result of the program.

However, we know that members have experienced significant frustrations with the system, and will keep you informed on progress.
 

AGED CARE PRESCRIBING

In a win for GPs and their aged care patients, the Federal Government has rejected an Aged Care Royal Commission recommendation to restrict prescribing of antipsychotics to nursing home residents.

The recommendation to limit initial prescribing to psychiatrists and geriatricians was made amid concerns that over-worked nursing home staff were pressuring GPs to chemically restrain dementia patients.

This simplistic solution ignores the environmental factors that have driven the use of antipsychotics, including a lack of appropriately-trained and experienced aged care staff.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) ruled against the recommendation in November, citing the “substantial risk of unintended consequences”.
 

WORKPLACE RELATIONS

AMA Queensland's Workplace Relations Consultancy offers expert workplace relations (WR) and human resources (HR) services, with a suite of services from developing and implementing new policies and procedures through to handling disputes and claims.

We can help you with any WR or HR matter in your practice. We know that every practice is different with unique needs, staff and patients so we will tailor support to meet your specific requirements and budget.

We can also help you with new laws governing the conversion of employees from casual to permanent.

We are here to help you check your compliance, with template packs and instructions that give you the tools to make offers and grant or reject requests.

Contact our Workplace Relations today to find out more at workplacerelations@amaq.com.au or 07 3872 2211.
 

MEMBER MILESTONE

On 1 December, AMA Queensland celebrated members who had reached significant membership milestones: 50, 45, 40, 35, 30 and 25 years.

Our members' unwavering support has helped us to advocate for the best interests of the medical profession and health system - and ultimately the wider community here in Queensland. It is our great honour to work on your behalf.

Our strong membership base has made our vital work possible and will allow us to continue representing our members into the future. We thank all of our members for your ongoing commitment to AMA Queensland. Your loyalty is invaluable.

You can see the list of members here. https://qld.ama.com.au/news/Membermilestone

Celebrating members who have reached 50 years: (L-R) Drs Keith Mitchell, Peter Cohn, Prof Chris Perry, Garry Buchan-Hepburn, Lynn Kennedy, William Watts, Michael Briner, Michael Gordon and Dennis Costigan.
 

AMA QUEENSLAND FOUNDATION CHRISTMAS APPEAL

The AMA Queensland Foundation is proud to have raised $25,000 through its Christmas Appeal for a new, high-end, broadcast quality camera for Juiced TV.

Juiced TV is an Australian-first program that provides the opportunity for patients and their siblings to star in their own show and share their hospital journey in an empowering and positive way, creating and connecting a community of hospital heroes.