President’s update: Ahpra, digital health, and AMA NT

Hello and happy Friday!

I’m sure you’re all feeling just as frantic as I am in the lead up to the end of the year — despite all the efforts to be organised, there always seems to be this last-minute contortion to fit urgent meetings into an already full calendar. But we’re nearly there.

I started off this week seeing patients…briefly. Then headed into our annual workshop with the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Telehealth, changing models of care and non-medical prescribing all made the agenda, as well as our usual push for fairer and more transparent notification and investigation processes. We pushed Ahpra to think strategically and across professions to make sure we have a regulator fit for the future. With politicians tempted by shiny new ideas, patient safety must be at the core of all policy decision-making. And of course, we are holding Ahpra and the Board to account on their commitment to improving practitioner wellbeing when subject to a notification. 

These issues, of course, affect all of us no matter where we live and practise across Australia. The AMA is a critical voice in protecting doctors and patients, shaping Australia’s healthcare future.

It’s an exciting week in our AMA family, as we celebrate AMA Northern Territory taking the final steps in joining us as branch of the AMA. AMA ACT will also hold a vote of their membership next week to determine whether this governance model is right for them. 

Our Tasmanian colleagues have shown the success of this model for them. One year ago, they decided to become a branch of the federal AMA. They continue to have robust local policies, and we have all learned from the closer sharing between the state and federal bodies, and we are all the stronger for it.

These changes of course do not diminish our commitment to working closely with AMAs who choose to remain independent. We recently signed an evergreen partnership with AMA Victoria, cementing our collaborative approach.

Regardless of our structure, what matters most is that all doctors, no matter where you live, have the strongest possible representation. Whether we are fighting to reform Medicare, to challenge unsafe working ours, or to boost investment in rural health, hospitals, preventive health and more, we are most effective when working together. As an AMA member, you benefit from our mutual strengths of combining local insights and knowledge with national reach and influence.

I’ve spent most of this week in Perth as a member of the Australian Digital Health Agency Board. It’s been a fascinating insight into the digital health leadership in this state. But of course, I put my AMA hat on from time to time and it was a great opportunity to meet with local doctors.

I visited the St John of God Hospital in Subiaco, where I caught up with past AMA President Dr Michael Gannon and the hospital’s executive who were generous with their time and sharing their current successes and challenges. 

Keep an eye out…we will release our latest AMA Private Health Insurance Report Card soon, underlining the need for an independent Private Health System Authority to provide fit-for-purpose oversight of urgent reforms to ensure the system meets community needs.

I’ve also had the chance to meet with some GP colleagues and discuss primary care reforms. What a week!

Hopefully I’ll spend the weekend getting some quokka selfies at Rottnest Island, and I hope your weekend is full of smiles too.