Gambling ads, doctor abuse, EDs under pressure & payroll tax advocacy – President’s Update

GAMBLING ADS - ‘A PARTIAL BAN IS NO BAN AT ALL’

Paris 2024 was Australia’s most successful Olympics and like you I was proud to see our athletes take home a record 18 gold medals. We finished fourth on the medal tally overall, but when it comes to world rankings there’s at least one field where Australia is a clear leader – and sadly that’s gambling.

Australians lose about $25 billion on gambling each year, the largest gambling losses in the world per capita. When viewed through a health lens, we know that gambling addiction is linked to high levels of comorbid mental health disorders, substance abuse, family breakdowns and severe financial stress.

Over the past week the debate around gambling advertising has been in the headlines again. Media reports suggest the Federal Government is considering implementing a partial ban on online gambling ads, with caveats for various platforms and at certain times. This would be a disappointing outcome.

AMA at both the state and federal levels is taking a firm stance on this issue. Our members and gambling addiction specialists Prof Malcolm Battersby and Prof Michael Baigent have emphasised to us the urgent need for a strong ban on gambling advertising, especially on TV. Failure to do so would allow betting companies to continue causing harm to Australians.

We’re calling on the government to implement the ban within three years, in line with the unanimous recommendations contained in the landmark ‘You win some, you lose more’ parliamentary inquiry report.

The government cannot afford to place the profits of large corporations ahead of Australian communities, particularly socially and economically disadvantaged communities, where the impacts of problem gambling are most pronounced.

I encourage AMA(SA) members to get in touch to share their perspectives. Please email admin@amasa.org.au.

ABUSE SHOULDN’T BE PART OF THE JOB

While on the topic of ads, you might have noticed SA Health’s confronting new campaign about the need for respectful behaviour in hospitals and other healthcare settings. It depicts a range of distressing scenarios and draws from the real experiences of doctors, nurses, allied health and security staff working in our state.

Abuse and violent behaviour against healthcare workers increased by 43% in the last year. Perhaps some of you reading this have experienced anti-social behaviour first hand.

As the campaign’s tagline says ‘abuse shouldn't be part of the job’. Frontline health staff already have difficult jobs caring for the community. At very least, they deserve to feel safe at work. AMA(SA) commends SA Health and the Health Minister Chris Picton for taking a stand on this important issue and involving real medical staff in formulating the campaign.

EDs UNDER PRESSURE – MEETING WITH THE CMO

On Thursday 22 August AMA(SA) CEO Nicole Sykes and I held our regular meeting with South Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael Cusack. Joining us was SA Health’s Clinical System Support & Improvement Deputy Chief Executive Kerrie Mahon and Jessica Gannon who is responsible for system access and capacity.

Ms Mahon and Ms Gannon provided an update on what is being done to alleviate the pressure on hospital EDs. They said rapid assessment teams are helping to streamline and fast-track patient care, especially at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Ms Mahon, who’s new to her role, told us her focus is on better defining problems and trying to design solutions. She also spoke of the need for better data collection and better connectedness across different models of care. These are both things I’ve advocated for in my role as AMA(SA) President and I look forward to continued collaboration with Ms Mahon and Dr Cusack to address our members’ concerns about the crisis in our public hospitals.

PAYROLL TAX ADVOCACY

I was invited to appear at the Parliamentary Select Committee into Health Services in South Australia on Thursday 22 August to present AMA(SA)’s position on payroll tax. This was an important opportunity to reinforce what AMA(SA) has long been saying, both publicly and in our regular meetings with the Health Minister and other government representatives.  

I told the Committee, chaired by SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros, that payroll tax affects the provision of health services across the spectrum – from the ability of someone in a rural town to find an affordable GP appointment to the capacity of our people to gain emergency treatment and beds in public hospitals, to the person waiting months or years for essential surgery.

It’s disappointing and frustrating that the State Government has made a decision which has set the tax in motion, but our fight continues. Our CEO Nicole Sykes remains a the table with Revenue SA, making sure the perspective of practice owners is at the forefront of how the tax is rolled out.