President and CEO update November 2022
New staff wellbeing laws will help health workers
We are happy to report an important step in AMA Queensland’s long-running battle to better protect our doctors.
The Queensland Government will amend the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 to make Hospital and Health Services (HHS) and their boards responsible for staff wellbeing and for promoting a culture that supports health, safety and wellbeing.
We have advocated strongly for these changes, which are similar to laws introduced in South Australia.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath flagged her intention to introduce these amendments at last month’s Health Workforce Mental Health and Wellbeing Summit, which was held as a result of AMA Queensland advocacy.
We are heartened by these positive actions to look after our health workforce, particularly their emotional wellbeing and cultural safety. These changes acknowledge that their work can pose unique risks to their wellbeing.
Our healthcare workers are on the front line, dealing with people who are unwell, infectious, distressed and upset, particularly during the pandemic.
Making HHS boards directly accountable for their staff’s health and wellbeing is an important step toward creating healthy and supportive work environments so our doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners can continue to deliver high-quality healthcare.
Payroll Tax
We continue to hear cases of members and non-members who have been audited by the Queensland Revenue Office (QRO) and face large retrospective payroll tax bills. We have spoken with lawyers and accountants who work with medical practices and they too have noticed an increase in audit activity.
AMA Queensland and RACGP continue meeting with the QRO to try to achieve some clarity on the way the law is being interpreted. The QRO have told us they will make a public ruling before the end of the year to provide medical practices with greater clarity.
We made it very clear medical practices have been compliant with tax law in the past, but there seems to be a change in the way payroll tax law is being interpreted over the last year or so.
Many of the medical practices we have spoken with cannot afford the large retrospective bills they face and will be forced to close. This will leave thousands of patients in the community and residential aged care facilities without a doctor.
Medical practices cannot afford to absorb this tax along with the increased expenses caused by COVID and inflation. They will have no option but to transfer this cost to patients as a patient tax.
We will continue to advocate for medical practices and the community against this patient tax. Queenslanders can’t afford to have more medical practices close.
Member milestones
We were very pleased to celebrate our members who have reached 50, 45, 40, 35, 30 and 25 year milestones earlier this month at a special morning tea. While not all could attend, it was very special to see a room with so many years of medical experience and meet the people whose 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.
Foundation Christmas appeal
Our 2022 Christmas Appeal focuses on grassroots help for Queensland’s future doctors facing financial hardship now. With your support, we are raising $20,000 to create two additional $10,000 AMA Queensland Foundation medical student scholarships in 2023. We’ll match your funding to double our 2023 scholarships from two to four.
Since 2004, AMA Queensland Foundation medical scholarships have helped launch the careers of 29 doctors who are now caring for communities across Queensland. Christmas Appeal donations from all our supporters can quickly add up to a year’s worth of stress- free study for two additional students facing financial hardship.
Will you join us in giving students the gift of education, and Queensland communities the gift of brilliant future doctors? Scholarships make a real difference in the lives of medical students who may be struggling to afford food, rent, education tools and fuel. Please give generously to our Christmas Appeal before 31 December.
Happy holidays
Together with our Board and Council and our secretariat staff, we would like to wish all our members a very happy festive season. We know not all of you will get a break over the holidays, but we hope you get to spend some time with loved ones and get some much-needed rest at some stage.
The AMA Queensland office will close at 3pm on 22 December and reopen at 8.30am on 3 January.