Politicians to hear about health system woes
Doctors and patients from around Queensland will share their experiences of the state health system with federal election candidates and party representatives at the AMA Queensland Virtual Town Hall tonight at 7pm.
The Town Hall is part of a series of forums being held around the nation as part of the AMA’s Clear the Hospital Logjam and Modernise Medicare campaigns.
AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid will give an overview of the national campaigns and where the major political parties are sitting on health policy with just over a week before election day.
He will also speak about the AMA’s first national Ambulance Ramping Report Card, released this morning, which shows that Queensland has failed to meet its target of transferring 90 per cent of patients from ambulances to the ED within 30 minutes for seven years.
AMA Queensland Vice President Dr Bav Manoharan will talk about how Queensland compares to other states and why AMA Queensland convened its Ramping Roundtable last year to provide solutions to ramping and hospital bed block.
Ramping Roundtable chair and emergency physician Dr Kim Hansen will give the view from the frontline of emergency departments in Queensland hospitals.
AMA Committee of General Practice Chair Dr Maria Boulton will speak about why Medicare is essential to Australian healthcare, and the pressure being felt by doctors as the gap between the cost of providing healthcare and the patient’s Medicare rebate widens.
AMA Queensland Councillor and Hervey Bay GP Nick Yim will present the perspective of a regional GP in an area with high levels of obesity, lung disease, heart disease, cancer and mental health issues.
The Town Hall will be moderated by ABC Brisbane Mornings presenter Rebecca Levingston, who will convene Q&A sessions with the panelists.
The candidates – Dr Angela Egan, an AMA Queensland member who is running as an Independent in Herbert; Socialist Alliance Senate candidate Dr Kamala Emanuel, ALP Senator Nita Green, and Greens Senate candidate Penny Allman-Payne – will each be given three minutes to outline their party’s platform, before taking questions from the moderator.
AMA Queensland President Professor Chris Perry will sum up and close the forum.
Attendance is free and open to all. The Town Hall starts at 7pm.