“Very emotional for me to see young staff members speaking up to the Minister for Health, calling it how it is.”

AMA (WA) President Dr Andrew Miller, accompanied by Australian Nursing Federation Secretary Mark Olson, paid tribute to the doctors and nurses who attended a staff meeting yesterday afternoon (Thursday, May 20) attended by Health Minister Roger Cook, WA Health Department and Perth Children’s Hospital executive.

The meeting was to address the morale of staff following the death of seven-year-old Aishwarya Aswath. While the Health Minister repeatedly pledged his support to staff, morale has been severely dented by the reporting of staff members to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) before an independent inquiry has taken place.

An hour later Dr Miller was live on The Project from the Channel Ten studios, explaining the plight of staff and the conditions they faced to a national audience.

More than 150 speakers are now bringing their expertise to MEDCON21 at a choice of more than 80 sessions.

Hear the knowledge come to life at MEDCON21 with world-class keynotes, presentations from all our medical colleges and other sessions covering pertinent topics. Be inspired by keynote addresses from international speaker and hostage-survivor, Rabia Siddique, on what characterises great leadership in a crisis, and futurist and author, Gihan Perera, on understanding trends in healthcare and shaping your future.

Other topics covered include AHPRA notifications and complaints, the PSR on privacy and consent, implementation of Voluntary Assisted Dying, social media for doctors, fellowship exams in the COVID world, digital health, paving a creative career in medicine, climate change, health and sustainability in WA and much more. Check the program, which will continue to be updated. 

Early bird registrations close 31 May. Don’t miss out on the medical conference of the year.

Real, Urgent and Now: Communicating the Health Impacts of Climate Change, a communication guide aimed at health professionals to empower them to talk publicly about climate change and health, has been launched.

Health is a very effective frame to use to talk about climate change, and health professionals are the best possible messenger for this frame.

Indeed, MEDCON21 will feature a panel including AMA Federal President Dr Omar Khorshid on Climate change, health and sustainability in WA – Linking science to action.

Real, Urgent and Now: Communicating the Health Impacts of Climate Change is designed to support health professionals in a number of ways, including to:

• speak with confidence about climate change and its health impacts with patients, clients, colleagues and communities

• take a leadership role in encouraging health services, clinics, hospitals, offices, and other health care facilities to be as environmentally sustainable as possible

• promote actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer health co-benefits, like walking, riding or using public transport instead of driving cars; shifting to a healthier, plant-based diet; or switching to renewable energy.

Now the Federal Budget has been handed down, it’s an ideal time to contact AMA Financial Services and work through any impacts and opportunities around your financial position.

We are delighted to invite you to the AMA (WA) Gala Ball. Prepare for a sumptuous three-course meal at this black tie event. We will also announce the winners of the AMA (WA) Awards.

Saturday 19 June 2021

7.00pm–11.00pm

Bellevue Ballroom
Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre
Tickets $195
Students and doctors in training $150

Nominate a colleague for the AMA (WA) Junior Doctor of Year Award (Dr Camille Michener Legacy Award). Then celebrate their win! Nominations close on Tuesday 25 May 2021. For more information, email Naomi.Harding@amawa.com.au.

Help break down the stigma around mental health in doctors and take part in Crazy Socks 4 Docs day on Friday 4 June.

Now, more than ever, we need to draw together as a profession and support one another as rates of burnout, anxiety, depression and stress reactions increase in doctors across Australia and the world.

Take your photo involving your “crazy”, odd, weird or wild socks – get creative! Tag the photo with the #crazysocks4docs hashtag.

Include the hashtag #doctorsmentalhealthmatters. If you are a medical student, add #medstudent. If you are entering as a Team, add #teameffort.

Tag @DoctorsHealthAdvisoryServiceWA in your social media post of choice:            

Facebook: @DocHealthAdvisoryWADoctors

Twitter: @DHAS_WA

Instagram: dhaswahealth

The Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, based at Telethon Kids Institute, wants all children to have a healthier start to life through elimination of infectious diseases. The Centre is running a study, FluBub, investigating responses to the flu vaccine when used in babies under six months of age.

Flu is the most common vaccine-preventable disease and young babies are at high risk of a severe infection. Influenza vaccinations are currently licensed for babies six months or older, leaving young babies unprotected when they are most vulnerable. The hope is that this study will lead to changes to the National Immunisation Register, and better protection for babies.

Practitioners who wish to participate in voluntary assisted dying will need to apply to the End of Life Care Program team in the Department of Health for access to the WA VAD Approved Training. The WA VAD Approved Training will be available in early June.

Practitioners can pre-register now to commence the validation process required for access. An information sheet on how to pre-register is available on the voluntary assisted dying website Access to WA VAD Approved Training.

Hear Dr Scott Blackwell and AMA (WA) President Dr Andrew Miller discuss What every medical practitioner needs to know about Voluntary Assisted Dying at MEDCON 21.

It’s never too early to start thinking about finances and your goals for the future – the sooner, the better.

You’re invited to a seminar to help you navigate the world of home ownership and mortgage broking. The seminar will help you understand the digital home loan process and how to be considered an ‘eligible applicant’ for banks and lenders. You’ll also be the first to hear about a special offer being released on the evening.

AMA members can bring a friend for free, and they can get the special offer too but the event is free for AMA members and one friend only. Drinks and nibbles provided.
 

Dr Simon Torvaldsen certainly knows how to make the most of his holidays.

The AMA (WA) General Practice Group Chair recently used his down time to skipper his yacht Atomic Blonde in the Fremantle to Exmouth yacht race.

But Simon (pictured, second from right) and the rest of the crew got a little more out of the race than most. They won line honours  in Division 2, were second in Division 2 on IRC (the main ratings system used) and third overall.

This gave Atomic Blonde the points to clinch the Siska trophy for the overall top yacht in Western Australia for the 2020-21 season.

"We are very pleased, as we beat a lot of professional crews with large budgets and very fancy race yachts (not that ours is any slouch)," Dr Torvaldsen said proudly.

From July 2021 onwards the MJA print journal will be moving to e-journal delivery only.

According to the MJA, an e-journal reduces costs and waste (paper, plastic), increasing flexibility and speed of dissemination, as well as improving accessibility.

The MJA e-journal has been developed so you receive an entire journal issue via your email, on the day the issue is released. All the MJA issues will be securely stored on their website for you to access anytime.

To continue receiving the MJA uninterruptedly, send your best email address to e-journal@mja.com.au.

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has released a video on webinar Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine program reset: navigating safety, acceptance and uptake.

The webinar was held on 30 April as part of the 2021 NCIRS COVID-19 vaccine webinar series. In the video you can: 

• hear an update on the Australian Government COVID-19 vaccine roll out plan and what this means for immunisation providers
• get further information on thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) and COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca
• learn practical strategies for communicating with your patients to increase vaccine acceptance and uptake
• have your questions answered by a panel of social scientists, medical specialists and general practitioners.

Indian families desperately need practical information and assistance to prevent further spread and devastation from COVID.

WA Indian Doctors Foundation, in association with CINI (Child in Need in India) Australia, is administering a range of responses, such as dedicated COVID assistance centres, wellness kits, rickshaw hire for public health education.

AMA (WA) is proudly supporting this urgent appeal. Donations are invited to allow a reasonable supply of PPE for all CINI Australia staff members and clients (including disadvantaged pregnant mothers and their vulnerable families).

All donations $2 and above are tax deductible. All donors making donations $150 and above will receive lifetime patron status of the WA Indian Doctors Foundation.

The perception that anyone working in the medical profession is likely to be financially secure is not always true. The AMA Benevolent Fund of WA was established many years ago so that members and their families could have the benefit of added financial support in times of need.

The fund has come to the aid of several families since being established and provided much-needed financial security during very difficult times. It could happen to anyone at any time.

Make a contribution to the AMA Benevolent Fund of WA to ensure we are in a position to help. All contributions are tax deductible.