President’s update: Public hospital doctors, COVID-19 lessons, AMA SA leadership
In his latest Presidents Update Associate Professor Peter Subramaniam reinforces the AMA’s career support for public hospital doctors and reflects on enduring lessons from the COVID-19 response.
Last week, AMA SA publicly backed the Federal AMA’s call for stronger career support for public hospital doctors. It’s been two years since the Hospital Registrar and Career Medical Officer (CMO) Framework was developed. Despite widespread support from the medical profession, it’s yet to be adopted by states and territories, including South Australia.
As I said in media interviews on Friday, public hospital doctors are essential to a viable health system. Our acknowledgement and gratitude alone for their contributions are not enough. They need structured training pathways, career development and a safe, supportive workplace to thrive. That’s why AMA SA is urging the South Australian Government to fully fund and implement the Framework.
This call comes amid the ongoing ramping challenges and essential surgery backlog in our hospitals: over 24,000 South Australians are waiting for planned essential surgeries, with more than 6,000 procedures overdue. Given the magnitude of the challenges, the government must do everything it can to support and expand the workforce – this includes implementing recommendations of the Framework. Doctors deserve a system that supports them to stay, develop and flourish here in South Australia and patients deserve a system with enough doctors – in the right areas – to meet their needs.
Continuing lessons from COVID-19
It was a good opportunity for reflection this week, when I heard former Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt speak at the University of Melbourne Business School. Mr Hunt’s presentation highlighted how the Australian health system rapidly united and remained resilient during the COVID-19 crisis, shaping its response on expert advice from the modelling done at the Doherty Institute and developing clear central communication and strong collaboration across federal, state and private sectors – even amid intense media scrutiny and community anxiety.
The former Minister reflected on how fast and coordinated action across the country enabled the health system to overcome long-entrenched barriers and launch major reforms, including telehealth, at unprecedented speed. If we have the capacity for system-wide cooperation and innovation at speed during a pandemic surely we can adopt other much-needed reforms to solve present and future system challenges.
Business as usual
As you may have seen in my correspondence last week, AMA SA has welcomed Interim CEO Paul Anderson to lead the organisation while we recruit a permanent successor to outgoing CEO Nicole Sykes. Paul brings a wealth of leadership experience across health, legal, government and not-for-profit sectors, and we’re pleased to have him in the role.
Importantly, I want to reassure you that all AMA SA member services, advocacy programs, committees and partnerships will continue uninterrupted during this transition. We’re always eager to hear from you. Please feel free to contact Paul, our dedicated team or me via membership@amasa.org.au.
Essential reading
Finally, if you haven’t had a chance yet, I highly recommend carving a few moments to read the latest edition of medicSA. The Spring issue shines a well-deserved spotlight on women’s health and the doctors leading the charge for better patient outcomes. You’ll also find a rich mix of articles featuring key updates on AMA SA’s advocacy efforts, along with stories that showcase the diverse interests and achievements of our members beyond their professional roles. As always, it is well worth a read!