Payroll tax

Queensland is the only state or territory to have achieved an exemption for GPs from payroll tax. The legislative process began in November. We hope this will be the trigger for tax harmonisation across Australia. We will continue to advocate for the exemption for all medical practices.

Workforce

Workforce Attraction Incentive Scheme for interstate and international doctors to relocate to Queensland ($10K-$70K each; $40M expansion).

$40,000 General Practice Trainee Grant Program (2 years; $24M).

Grants for 50 GPs to upskill in obstetrics and anaesthetics ($5.25M).

    
Vaccinations

Free Meningococcal B and RSV vaccines and ongoing funding for influenza vaccinations.

We are working to convince the new state government to renew the free influenza vaccine program for 2025. 

Hospitals

Implementation of AMA Queensland Ramping Roundtable Action Plan recommendations including patient flow and discharge initiatives, virtual ED, rapid access services, extended hours for medical imaging and allied health, electronic rostering and transit lounges.

Patient Care Facilitators to ensure patients discharged from hospital see their GP within seven days to improve outcomes and prevent readmission.

Surgical Wait List Roundtable Action Plan to address inequitable access to elective surgery for regional patients.

Technology

QScript look-up exemptions for patients in hospital and other settings, including in RACFs.

Digital Passports for all Queensland Health staff and internal locums for key specialties and regions. This must now be implemented as a priority and locum opportunities extended to all Queensland Health staff.

Mental health and wellbeing 

Qld Health staff wellbeing laws to make HHSs and their boards responsible for promoting a culture and implementing measures to support the health, safety and wellbeing of staff.

International Medical Graduates 

International Medical Graduate (IMG) recommendations submitted to the Queensland Government to improve supports for this valuable medical cohort. The recommendations are also being considered for progression by AMA’s IMG Working Group (WG).

The AMA Queensland IMG WG prompted the formation of the federal AMA IMG WG. The WG will recommend actions the AMA can take to advocate for pathways to support work participation and career progression and provide advice on how to ensure membership of the AMA is relevant to IMGs.

Aged and end-of-life care

Increase to the palliative care eligibility access period for all services from three months to 12 months and improving access to the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme (MASS); continued funding for the Specialist Palliative Care in Aged Care (SPACE) program; and $18M for voluntary assisted dying services.

Tobacco/vaping

Introduction of amendments to Queensland legislation to restrict the availability and sale of vaping products.

Drug laws

Drug law reform to implement a three-tier drug diversion program for limited quantities of illicit drugs and pharmaceuticals, ensuring a health rather than criminal justice approach.

Sustainability

AMA Queensland-Queensland Health Sustainability Summit to promote adoption of climate actions, including emission reporting and targets and a sustainability champions program within all HHSs.

Active Travel Position Statement to improve public health and reduce emissions.

Sustainable Events Guide to help shape our efforts to mitigate the impact of AMA Queensland’s activities on the climate and carbon emissions.

First Nations health

First Nations funding for AMA Queensland health partners including the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council.

LGBTQIASB+ Health

Funding of $6.8M in the State Budget for gender affirming care that is tailored and more accessible for this community.

Fought for your safety 

Conducted the ninth Resident Hospital Health Check, evaluating employment conditions and wellbeing among doctors in training across Queensland.  

Hospital Infection Controls

The former CHO committed to visiting Queensland Health facilities to discuss current arrangements with staff. Unfortunately, he did not finish these consultations or inform us of their outcomes before announcing his resignation. Federal AMA will take up this work with the new CHO.

Food labelling

Key changes to the Health Star Rating (HSR) system in Australia have been announced.

GP chronic disease management items 

In September the AMA succeeded in having reforms to GP chronic disease management items delayed allowing time for further discussions about funding for the items. The AMA remains strongly committed to the reforms being introduced in 2025. 

MBS

In May the AMA welcomed the new Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) Bill 2024 — a key step towards fixing out-of-date assignment of benefit rules under the Health Insurance Act. The Bill was passed in July. 

The AMA had called for changes to the Act to bring it in line with modern practices, including removing statutory requirements for patients to have to sign paper-based forms when assigning their Medicare benefit. We continue to work with the Department of Health and Aged Care to design more relevant rules that will do away with the requirements for paper-based forms and provide much greater flexibility in how assignment of benefit can be demonstrated.

Video telehealth items

In June the AMA welcomed the release of a new report that drops an earlier interim recommendation to remove video telehealth items for initial consultations with non-GP specialists. We provided a strong initial submission to the consultation opposing this recommendation and met several times with the department.

Ethics 

In February the AMA made a submission to Treasury calling for a ban on the use of genetic testing in life insurance underwriting, with AMA President Professor Steve Robson appearing at a press conference with Senator David Pocock and Mr Kylea Tink to advocate further for a ban. Professor Robson later spoke about the need for ban at a Senate inquiry hearing. In September Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones announced a total ban on genetic discrimination in life insurance.

Advocacy in action

AMA Federal had more than 400 meetings with politicians, political staffers, government departments and stakeholders and wrote 2360 pieces of correspondence. 

We issued more than 80 media releases attracting extensive media coverage on our advocacy asks. 

Submissions and position statements 

This year AMA Federal lodged more than 44 submissions to parliamentary inquiries and consultations from departments and regulators on key issues that impact our members; and published six position statements, with work underway to update several others. 

Medicines and Medicare

60-day dispensing 
In March AMA Federal welcomed the second stage of the 60-day dispensing. The introduction of 60-day dispensing followed a concerted campaign by the AMA to introduce the PBAC-recommended change. The second stage means doctors are now able to write 60-day prescriptions for close to 100 additional medicines for health conditions like diabetes, epilepsy, breast cancer and menopause.

Sildenafil 
In May we lodged a submission to proposed amendments to the Poisons Standard opposing the down-scheduling of sildenafil. The AMA submission highlighted that the prescription of sildenafil requires a comprehensive medical assessment to address the causes, contraindications and potential risks. In September an interim decision was made to not amend the Poisons Standard in relation to sildenafil.

IV fluid shortages 
The AMA was quick to engage with governments when the IV fluid shortage first came to light. Our advocacy on IV fluid shortages led to the establishment of the National Response Group which meets each Monday with the AMA President in attendance.

Private health 

In late 2023, the AMA hosted a workshop on the private health system with key stakeholders including ministerial advisers and senior departmental staff in attendance. One of the key outcomes was the need for a detailed exploration of sustainability issues in the private hospital sector. This year the government conducted a financial viability health check of private hospitals which the AMA President participated in through the CEO’s forum. Almost 2000 AMA members contributed to this work through our member survey.

Protheses list 
Years of AMA advocacy on prostheses list reforms resulted in the win to retain general use items.

Medicover scheme 
AMA intervention saw HCF fix a problem which had prevented surgical assistants with limited or provisional Ahpra registration from accessing HCF’s medicover scheme. 

Nib known gap
The introduction of known gap scheme at nib, commencing in October, followed the AMA’s ongoing calls for national consistency in schedules and known gap arrangements. 

The AMA has long been calling on insurers to provide known gap arrangements, and to offer consistent rebates to patients across all states and territories, as part of its advocacy including through the AMA’s Private health insurance report cards.