Latest wins: President and CEO update - December 2024
Throughout 2024, AMA Queensland advocacy saw many payoffs for members, doctors, and patients in communities around the state. We are extremely proud of what we have been able to achieve this year with the support of our dedicated and passionate members – we would not be able to do this work without you.
Our most notable achievement is the end of payroll tax for GPs. While we celebrate this win, we also remain focused on our key priorities for 2025. Workforce remains our number one priority, and we will continue to work with the state government to ensure it also remains theirs. We will continue the fight for pill testing services, drug diversion laws that treat substance use as a health issue rather than a criminal one and fluoridation in all Queensland water supplies.
Most importantly, we will continue to listen to our members concerns and channel our advocacy into what's most important to you.
RECENT WINS
New payroll tax ruling
As the year comes to an end so does the battle against GP payroll tax.
Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki confirmed during parliamentary question time on 12 December 2024 that general practices are immediately exempt from payroll tax on wages paid to GPs.
This has come after two years of fierce advocacy from AMA Queensland, pre-election promises from both major political parties and an indication from the new state government that the wheels were in motion.
In 2021 practices were hit with unexpected, backdated tax bills that threatened their viability, leaving them to face with passing these new costs on to their patients or closing their doors.
The former Labor government introduced a new Public Ruling and an amnesty to give practices time to reorganise their business models so they did not incur the new tax. However, many practices were still uncertain about what would happen when the amnesty ended.
The Treasurer’s announcement that, effective immediately, wages paid or payable by a medical practice to a GP or GP Registrar are not subject to payroll tax provides certainty for GPs and their patients.
We thank the new government for this action and will continue to advocate for this exemption to be expanded to all private medical practices, in the same way that all public and some private hospitals are exempt.
Satellite hospital name change
The LNP’s decision to consult on a name change of satellite hospitals is a welcome move that will reduce some of the confusion around their services.
Since the announcement of the first satellite hospital under the previous Labor government, AMA Queensland has been urging parties to reconsider the choice of investment, warning it is a misdirection of funds that is also leading to patient confusion, risking their safety.
Our work with the Labor government led to the start of communication efforts to minimise some of the confusion. However, patients continued to present to these facilities when they instead needed an emergency department, indicating that there was more work to be done.
We will continue to work with the current government on their consultation for a name change to further reduce some of the confusion around satellite hospitals.
The survey to identify alternative names is currently being conducted by Queensland Health and will close on 20 December 2024. Health Minister Tim Nicholls told parliament on 10 December that 2,000 people had already completed the survey.
ADVOCACY EFFORTS
Fluoridated water
AMA Queensland is urging local councils across Queensland to ensure community water fluoridation as misinformation continues to spread throughout public discourse.
In partnership with the Australian Dental Association Queensland, we have written to all relevant Ministers and councils raising our members’ concerns about increasing prevalence and severity of oral disease, particularly among children.
We have received several responses from local councils, with many opposing our suggestions.
Most notably, the Cairns Council recently voted against fluoridation of their water supply, reasoning that “individuals must ultimately be responsible for their own health and wellbeing”.
This notion completely denies the impact socioeconomic, geographic and circumstantial factors have on people’s ability to access healthcare.
Minister Nicholls acknowledged our support for fluoridation and its associated health benefits, promising to encourage local governments to adopt and maintain the provision of water fluoridation.
We are now calling on the state government to assist councils financially to ensure cost is not a barrier to such an essential and comprehensive approach to improving oral health outcomes.
Workforce Incentive Scheme
Less than two months into its term in office, the LNP government has axed the Workforce Incentive Scheme introduced by the previous Labor government.
The scheme was an important strategy to meet the need for 30,000 new healthcare workers in Queensland by 2032.
The decision to scrap the program is perplexing, especially considering the new government’s promise to bolster the state’s medical workforce as their number one priority.
The government claims the decision is part of a plan to realign their workforce strategy to programs offering better value for money.
AMA Queensland continues to call for the scheme to be expanded, not axed, especially considering the dire state of our global health workforce shortage.
We will continue to have regular meetings with both Queensland Health and the Health Minister to ensure Queensland is competitive in its recruitment strategy.
Ahpra agrees to leave fee relief
Following a year-long campaign by AMA Victoria, supported by AMA Queensland, Ahpra has agreed to a 30 per cent discount on annual registration fees for practitioners who take parental leave. The change comes into effect on 1 July 2025.
The rebate applies to all forms of protected leave, including disability and carers’ leave.
A petition led by AMA Victoria President Dr Jill Tomlinson gathered almost 3,800 signatures in favour of Ahpra changing its fee setting policy to one that is fair, equitable and enables a flexible and responsive health workforce.
AMA Queensland strongly supported Dr Tomlinson’s campaign and welcomes Ahpra’s response.
Pill testing
The conversation surrounding pill testing is ongoing even after the conclusion of Schoolies.
Despite the service’s success in ensuring the safety of young Queenslanders at this year’s event, the state government remains opposed to broader pill testing services and has decided to shut down the state’s two permanent pill testing sites.
AMA Queensland continues to urge the government to reconsider this decision, especially before seeing the results of the independent evaluation of the fixed sites.
Preliminary results identified that people were not just seeking testing for illicit drugs. Due to cost-of-living pressures many people are turning to the internet for cheaper medicines, only to find at these pill testing services that these substances are not what they thought they were buying.
Prevention must be a key focus when addressing public health, and we will continue to work with the Queensland Government on these issues in 2025.
CDT update
A busy few weeks turned into a busy few months for the Committee of Doctors in Training with the release of and significant interest in the 2024 Resident Hospital Health Check.
The survey reached 15 per cent more participants than last year, and its findings generated significant media attention which we hope will lead to positive change for junior doctors working in Queensland’s public hospitals.
The CDT is also hoping to launch its Rural Hospital Accommodation Survey soon, aiming to identify the state of rural and remote accommodation across Queensland, what features are valued and what improvements can be made.
Finally, the CDT continues to collaborate with the Federal Council of Doctors in Training to advance their position statement following the Ward Call Survey completed earlier this year. The results of the survey were also recently presented at the BMJ International Forum of Healthcare Quality and Safety.
EVENTS
Member Networking Event Brisbane
On Thursday 21 November, Brisbane members and guests joined us at AMA Queensland offices for drinks, platters and a discussion about local issues.
AMA Queensland Vice President Dr Emilia Dauway shared a policy update and Craig Hong from Hillhouse Legal Partners gave us the latest legal news while Phil Manser from Wine Direct showcased premium wines.
Thank you to our sponsors for making the event possible and to our members for attending.
It is always enjoyable and insightful to catch up with our members. We hope you appreciated the night as much as we did.
Membership Milestone Breakfast
It was an honour to host long-term AMA Queensland members and their families and friends at a special Membership Milestone Breakfast in Brisbane on 15 November.
This event celebrates doctors who have combined their care for the community with their passion for advocacy by joining and remaining as members of AMA Queensland for decades.
This year, it was particularly special to acknowledge Drs Michael Williams and Ross Phillipson who have been with AMA Queensland for 50 years.
As a member association, our members are, and will always be, our most precious resource. We thank all of you for your support.
HOLIDAY CLOSURE
As the year comes to a close, we want to once again thank our members for their loyal support – we would not be able to achieve what we do for doctors and community health without you.
We wish all our members and stakeholders a safe and healthy festive season and hope you’re able to enjoy a well deserved break.
The AMA Queensland team will also be taking a short break from 3pm Friday 20 December until the office reopens at 8:30am on Thursday 2 January 2025.
We look forward to continue working with you for the health of Queenslanders in the new year.
