Australian Medical Association

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, addresses the AMA Parliamentary Dinner, Great Hall, Parliament House, Wednesday, 10 March 2010

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, outlines details of the AMA Priority Investment Plan for Australia's Health System.

Speech to 'Australia's Health’, The Congress on National Health Reform, Parliament House of Victoria, 30 November 2009

Dr Pesce discusses the health of medical practitioners at the 6th National Doctors' Health Conference in Adelaide.

AMA PRESIDENT, DR ANDREW PESCE, Speech to MIIAA 3rd Medical Indemnity Forum, SYDNEY, 28 August 2009

National Registration – what does it mean for the average doctor

AMA PRESIDENT, DR ANDREW PESCE, Closing Remarks, HEALTH-E NATION, National Convention Centre, Canberra, 19 August 2009

E-health – The need for unity of purpose

AMA VICE PRESIDENT, DR STEVE HAMBLETON, Speech to Catholic Health Australia National Conference, Hobart, Tuesday, 18 August 2009

Improving The Bond Between Primary, Acute and Sub Acute Care 

AMA Federal President, Dr Andrew Pesce, addressed the National Press Club in Canberra.

Dr Pesce set out some of the priorities he will pursue as AMA President and discussed a variety of issues including: health reform; indigenous health; AMA-government relations; GP Week; GP-led care; rural health; e-health; a proposed long term care scheme for the catastrophically injured; and professional responsibility.

The Address was broadcast live on ABC Television.

Introduction

Ladies, gentlemen and distinguished guests, good morning.

As some of you may know, I'm a general practitioner who runs a long-established, but modern, medical practice.

In my practice, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals work collaboratively for the best patient outcomes.

The way I run my practice is logical and works well for both patients and staff.

JAMES LUSH: The first round of public hearings into the Federal Government's proposed changes to Medicare begins in Perth today. The Government plans to lift the income threshold for paying the Medicare surcharge to $100,000 for singles and $150,000 for couples.

Dr Rosanna Capolingua is the president of the Australian Medical Association, and joins us.

You're not very happy about this change at all, are you?

ROSS STEVENSON: Here are some of the - just adding to the occupations list, that we've got four new occupations from this morning's news alone. There is 'classy cat', 'alleged black widow', 'sex industry stalwart', and now add to the list 'stressed doctors'. That is the thrust of the front page story in the Herald Sun, that our medical system is at breaking point and that doctors are working too many hours and under too much stress.

Dr Rosanna Capolingua is the national president of the Australian Medical Association. Good morning, Doctor.

Dr Speck, good morning and thanks for your time.

I see patients every Monday at least and then every week I fly to Canberra.

Last week, I stayed in Perth and spent every day except Tuesday in my General Practice as a GP.

Last Tuesday, though not at the surgery, I spent the day as a GP writing up a report for the State Coroner for a precious patient who came to an unfortunate death earlier this year.

Going through the case notes was like reliving every consultation, every conversation, every experience and memory she shared with me.

It was difficult.

Good afternoon everyone.

I would like to thank the Minister for Health and Ageing for her presentation this morning. I want to assure the Minister that as much as the AMA might appear to be a constant objector to her Government's health policies, the AMA, and the medical profession always have our patients and the best interests of all Australians at the forefront of our minds.

I am very pleased that Dr Bennett could attend our National Conference today and I would like to thank her for her contribution to this session.

Good afternoon colleagues, special guests, ladies and gentlemen.

The President's report is meant to capture the last 12 months and deliver the current setting.... difficult in some 10 minutes.

It has been a busy and crucial year from an internal perspective with restructuring the AMA, building better communications and relationships with our essential State and Territory AMA's, appointing a new Sec Gen and so on.

DR CAPOLINGUA: The Access Economic Report clearly supports the AMA's concerns about the Budget initiative, the change to the Medicare Surcharge Levy, which will cause a massive fallout in private health insurance rates in Australia. The damage that will cause to the public hospital system and to the patients that need care is going to be significant.

QUESTION: What will that mean for people that are, you know, paying premiums at the moment?

DR ROSANNA CAPOLINGUA: The AMA wants the public and the government to focus on methamphetamine use in this country and deal with the issues that we need to face in assisting those people that have become methamphetamine-dependent; those that have those significant serious mental health reactions to methamphetamine use, and assist the emergency departments of the hospitals to take care of these patients and community and general practice to look after methamphetamine users.

QUESTION: How big a problem is Ice in Australia?