AMA SA will keep asking the essential questions

As I stood on the stage of the Capri Theatre on Wednesday 11 February to welcome guests to the AMA SA Health Debate, I remarked that there is no better setting for political theatre than an actual theatre. 

But as I reminded the audience – and the politicians listening from the green room – the doctors in the room expected more than a performance. We expected substance.

Unfortunately, that substance was lacking.

Throughout the debate, I asked Health Minister Chris Picton and his Opposition counterpart Heidi Girolamo to provide specifics on the issues our members and colleagues have consistently told us matter most to the medical profession and our you, your colleagues, and your patients. These include:

• ramping and ambulance response times
• bed block and surgery delays
• workforce planning and recruitment
• access to GP care
• access to community mental health care
• payroll tax
• pharmacy scope creep
• clinician involvement in planning a fit-for-purpose Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

During the debate, I asked for targets, timeframes and budgets. Instead, too often, the answers comprised sweeping responses, platitudes and broadbrush promises.‑brush promises.

Minister Picton spoke at length about recent Labor announcements on mental health, aged care and medical training – and we expected he would. To me, many of the commitments we’ve heard from Labor in recent weeks sound promising, but when I asked on Wednesday night for details of when these commitments would deliver meaningful improvements for patients and the frontline workforce, the Minister did not provide that detail.

Shadow Minister Girolamo repeatedly affirmed her support for general practice, recommitting to abolishing payroll tax on GPs and trialling a grant program for after-hours GP care. These are policies for which AMA SA has long advocated, and it is encouraging to see her recognise the vital role of GPs. But while Ms Girolamo said many of the right things, she too was unable to provide specific details when asked questions on crucial matters such as mental health care and workforce planning.

Something we hope to explore with Ms Girolamo is her party’s stance on pharmacy scope of practice. During the debate she said that the Liberal Party is ‘not on the same page’ as Labor when it comes to allowing pharmacists to diagnose and treat an extended list of conditions without clinical oversight. This was new and welcome information – and we look forward to clarity on the Liberal Party’s policy.

Although we did not hear all the specifics about the range of health issues voters want and deserve before they vote on polling day, the Health Debate reinforced AMA SA’s place in the health sector and our influence on policy and decision-making. In the days preceding the debate, Labor released a flurry of major health announcements – four in four days. It is hard not to conclude that our debate helped sharpen the Premier’s focus on healthcare.

As we move toward the election – and beyond – we will continue asking the difficult and important questions of those making decisions that affect doctors, our  patients and our health system. AMA SA is the only organisation that speaks for all doctors, and we take that responsibility seriously. It is our job to be your voice – and to hold those in power to account.

Thank you to the many members who attended the debate and special thanks to those who provided input that helped shape our questions. As always, I welcome your feedback. Please email me at president@amasa.org.au