Suspension of Philip Nitschke welcomed

The Medical Board of Australia has made the right decision by suspending the registration of Philip Nitschke as a doctor, AMA (WA) Vice President Dr Andrew Miller has said. 

“The medical profession is relieved to be rid of Dr Nitschke and wishes to assure the community that we will always help those with treatable illnesses to recover and live,” Dr Miller said.

For more on this report, including a video of Dr Miller's live cross to ABC 24, please click here.

To view Dr Miller's appearance on Channel 9 regarding Nitschke's suspension, please click here. 
 

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection made notifiable

MERS-CoV became a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia, as of Wednesday 2 July, following publication of a notice in the Government Gazette the previous day.

An accompanying notice designated MERS-CoV a “dangerous infectious disease”, as defined in the Health Act 1911. The latter designation allows the use of formal powers – as outlined in section 251 of the Act – to order public health disease control measures such as isolation, quarantine, and testing, should they be necessary.

Attending doctors and pathology laboratories are now required by law to notify the WA Department of Health of persons considered on clinical and epidemiological grounds, or as a result of testing, to have MERS-CoV infection.

For more information, please click here.

Flexible working arrangements for junior doctors

One of the initiatives the AMA (WA) Doctors in Training Committee has in 2014 is to improve access to flexible working arrangements for junior doctors in Western Australia.

As part of its ongoing advocacy, the Committee is keen to gauge the interest in part-time and flexible working arrangements and assess the prevailing attitudes towards part-time employment.

The Committee would be very grateful if you could take the time to complete the following survey.

If you require any information on the survey or would like to get more involved with the advocacy the Committee is currently undertaking please do not hesitate to contact Nicola Roman at the AMA (WA).

AMA and GP Registrars working to overcome setbacks to GP training

In an important preview to AMA Family Doctor Week 2014, GP Registrars gathered in Sydney earlier this month to discuss the future of general practice training against a backdrop of major policy setbacks announced in the May Budget.

The GP Registrar Forum, hosted by the AMA, was attended by AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler, Chair of the AMA Council of Doctors in Training, Dr James Churchill, Chair of the AMA Council of General Practice, Dr Brian Morton, the Chair of General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA), Dr David Chessor, and a group of hand-picked GP registrar leaders.

A/Prof Owler said that the Federal Budget had introduced changes that would have a lasting effect on general practice training in Australia.

For more on this report, please click here. 

New Health Department and Treasury data show smoking at all-time low

Ongoing misinformation about tobacco sales in Australia is being driven by the tobacco industry to undermine the effectiveness of plain packaging, according to the Cancer Council Australia.

Cancer Council Australia CEO and medical oncologist, Professor Ian Olver, said independent tobacco sales figures published by the Department of Health showed tobacco consumption in Australia in the March quarter of 2014 was at an all-time low.

New Treasury figures were further indication of a decline in smoking, with tobacco clearances (including excise and customs duty) falling by 3.4 per cent in 2013 relative to 2012 when tobacco plain packaging was introduced.

For more on this report, please click here. 

Regional WA boosts immunisation rates, report card prompts response

The percentage of children in regional WA who are fully immunised has increased over the past year to a level where immunisation rates in regional WA have now surpassed the national average.

In recent years, regional Public Health Units (PHUs) have prioritised immunisation and introduced a variety of strategies that have been successful in raising immunisation rates.

Examples of these are:
• Conducting programs, in many of the regional PHUs, that involve monthly follow-up of every family with a child who is overdue for immunisation.

• Regional PHUs providing regular immunisation updates – one region provides a quarterly summary report to all immunisation providers that includes postcode level information on numbers of overdue children and allows comparison between different areas. Other regions run immunisation information days for providers.

• Regional PHUs introducing more flexibility around immunisation provision, such as immunisation delivery by school health nurses, in after-school clinics and delivery of immunisations in a variety of settings, including the home.
 

For more on this report, please click here.

Treating doctor medico-legal reports.

The provision of treating doctor medico-legal reports is an inevitable and often unwelcome part of clinical practice. It can also be a source of complaints.

This article outlines the steps involved in preparing a ‘good’ medico-legal report and provides some strategies to minimise the possibility of a complaint.

A request for a doctor to prepare a report for legal purposes can be received from:
• a patient
• a lawyer
• an insurer or statutory body, e.g. WorkCover
• the police
• a court.

For more on this article, please click here. 

AMA (WA) Medical Products 2014 EOFY Promotion

AMA (WA) Medical Products has launched its 2014 End of Financial Year (EOFY) Promotion.

Follow the link below to see our large range of medical products with super savings and bonuses. The promotion runs from June through to the end of August 2014.

From stethoscopes to wheelchairs and ECGs to Spirometers, AMA (WA) Medical Products has all the equipment you need. Contact our customer service team who are local, friendly, motivated and have the technical knowledge to provide the sales experience you deserve.

For more information about the promotion, please click here or call (08) 9273 3022.

Urgent VR GP Locum required for inner Perth metro practice

Due to leave commitments, a VR GP Locum is required for an inner metro private practice. 60 per cent of billings and full patient load are guaranteed.

Dates:  
Mondays to Thursdays  2.00pm – 5.30pm
Wednesdays and Fridays  8.00am – 12.00 noon
Alternate Saturdays -  8.30am – 12.00 noon

For further information please contact AMA Recruit or phone (08) 9273 3033.

What is your financial plan?

Many medical professionals earn a good income, pay a lot of tax, and don’t have the time to find out the best strategies for their finances.

People come to you for your medical expertise, just as people consult a financial planner for their financial expertise. What exactly can a financial planner assist with?

Let’s look at the likely life stages in a medical professional’s life.

New TGA Medicine Shortages Website

In May 2014, the TGA, working in collaboration with Medicines Australia and the Generic Medicines Industry Association, launched a searchable website to provide up-to-date information on current, anticipated and resolved medicine shortages, as well as discontinued medicines.

The website also provides links, where possible, to information on substitute medicines or therapeutic alternatives.

An alert service has also been set up so subscribers can receive instant notifications or a weekly newsletter on medicine shortages.

For more information, please click here. 

Great discounts available in this year's Entertainment Book

Help us raise funds for the AMA (WA) Foundation by ordering the new Entertainment Book. By ordering through the AMA (WA), 20 per cent of your purchase will go towards the Foundation.

Great discounts are available on a range of products including restaurants, leisure activities, accommodation and much more.

Order online, or contact Louise at AMA reception on 9273 3000 or via email before 30 April 2014 to receive an extra bonus!

For more information, please click here.

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