Do not be weak on codeine, Minister

State Health Minister Roger Cook is putting the health of West Australians at risk by joining a push to reverse the decision to make codeine products available by script only, the Australian Medical Association (WA) has said.

Mr Cook signed a letter with all other state health ministers, with the exception of South Australia, urging Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt to reverse the Therapeutic Drugs Administration decision to make codeine products available only by script in order to minimise the risk of addiction and overdose.

AMA (WA) President Dr Omar Khorshid said he was extremely disappointed that Mr Cook had put the lobbying and economic power of pharmacists before the health of West Australians. “The minister told me and others very recently that he was supportive of the TGA decision,” Dr Khorshid said.

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Update: Dispute over payment for additional hours worked

The AMA (WA) continues to receive reports from senior practitioners about being paid for additional hours worked at the end of a rostered shift at their ordinary base rate of pay under the WA Health System – Medical Practitioners – AMA Industrial Agreement 2016 (the AMA Industrial Agreement).

The AMA (WA) has held discussions with the Department of Health (the System Manager) about this practice.

The AMA (WA) has argued it is in breach of the AMA Industrial Agreement to pay additional hours worked at the ordinary rate rather than as a call-back and this practice adopted by health service providers represents a change in the previously longstanding practice whereby additional hours worked at the end of a rostered shift were paid as a call-back.

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Influenza not to be taken lightly

Australian Medical Association (WA) President Dr Omar Khorshid believes more needs to be done to convince parents that influenza is a potentially life threatening virus and that vaccines are safe.

Writing in the latest issue of the AMA (WA) magazine, Medicus, Dr Khorshid said that while WA had not had a particularly bad flu season this year, the rest of Australia had experienced a record number of cases and more than 120 deaths.

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Commitment to improve mental health and wellbeing of doctors

Doctors are not the supermen and women that many think they are, and must take ownership of their own health, Australian Medical Association (WA) President Dr Omar Khorshid has said.

Officially opening the Moving out of the Blue: Solutions in Doctors’ Welfare seminar earlier this month, Dr Khorshid said it was not only significant that junior doctors’ wellbeing was being discussed, it was vital that solutions to this problem were found.

Organised by the AMA (WA) Junior Doctors’ Welfare Committee along with the Doctor’s Health Advisory Service WA, the fully booked seminar included doctors from all sectors of WA Health.

Live-streamed to ensure remote and regional doctors would not miss out, the seminar covered the stigma of mental health issues, burnout, access to leave and the efficacy of current procedures for dealing with doctors in distress.

Panellist Dr David Oldham, representing the Doctors’ Health Advisory Service, highlighted the importance of improving the culture of the health system.

“We need to improve culture at the organisational level, individual team or department levels and of course the individual itself,” he said.

Dr Oldham added that one key message that he has reiterated during his tenure as a counsellor for junior doctors, was that the stigma surrounding mental health kills.

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2017 Dr YES Charity Golf Tournament

The AMA (WA) invites you to participate in the 2017
Dr YES Charity Golf Tournament on Friday 3 November 2017 at the Royal Perth Golf Club.

We look forward to welcoming you to this annual event to share an enjoyable day with your colleagues, business partners and clients. There will be some amazing items up for auction, and as usual, proceeds will go to AMA (WA)’s Dr YES program.

The Ambrose tournament will allow for players of varying degrees of golfing prowess to get involved, and will be just as much fun for the novice golfer as the more experienced players in your team.

Registrations are now open – simply complete the Acceptance Form and send to Skye Connor at AMA (WA) via fax (9273 3073) or email.

Last year’s event was fully booked, so be sure to sign up early to secure your place!

For more information or to register, please click here.

AIHW releases new report on access to mental health services

Close to 10 per cent of the Australian population accessed Medicare-subsidised mental health services in 2015–16, according to a report released recently by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

The report, Mental health services: In brief 2017, shows that 2.3 million people (9.4 per cent of the Australian population) received Medicare-subsidised mental health services in 2015–16—an increase from 1.6 million (7.2 per cent of the population) in 2011–12.

For more information and to access the report, please click here. 

Siver Chain unveils Enhanced Medical Mixed Reality Technology

Silver Chain Group recently unveiled a new technology it is developing called Enhanced Medical Mixed Reality (EMMR).

EMMR can be used with a Microsoft HoloLens headset to integrate ‘mixed reality’ technology with real-life and projected holograms in patients’ homes.

This introduces the idea of ‘holoporting’ medical practitioners into peoples’ homes for consultations and diagnostics. 

A natural step up from Telehealth, the EMMR interface allows for in-person communication, and the ability for specialists, other health professionals or family members to join the conversation and engage with the decisions being made.

For more information, please click here. 

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