VICDOC Winter 2022 - Magazine - Page 4
FROM THE PRESIDENT
THE VICTORIAN
STATE BUDGET:
AMA VICTORIA'S
PERSPECTIVE
—
DR RODERICK McRAE
AMA Victoria President
THE GOOD NEWS
––
One of AMA Victoria’s advocacy priorities has
been to campaign for a healthcare-led recovery
in Victoria and so we were pleased that in its
recent state budget, the Victorian Government
unequivocally placed health at the centre of its
agenda. Twelve billion dollars of new spending is
set to boost health infrastructure and workforce in
the coming years, including the training and hiring
of 7,000 healthcare workers, and importantly also
across regional areas.
This is a positive result for our members, for
all doctors and for the community. I thank all
members and AMA Victoria staff who participated
in this year’s state budget submission. The
Minister’s Office has been open with us that
the work of AMA Victoria and our ability to
communicate our concerns effectively to
government influenced and shaped this year’s
state budget. Encourage others to join our
successful organisation.
CURRENT CHALLENGES
––
Whilst the government has prioritised billions of
dollars of new spending on health in the coming
years, this does not improve the critical situation
healthcare workers face on the ground right
now — particularly in public hospital emergency
departments, but also many general practices
This is a crisis which has built up over decades
due, in no small part, to a lack of planning — both
in recognising increasing demand and capacity
constraints and planning effectively for it; and
a failure between federal and state governments
to co-operate to improve and ready the
interconnecting parts of the health system
for the demands we face today.
These are the challenges we face together, and
the brutal reality is no-one has simple solutions
that can change the situation on the ground today.
4
AMA VI C TO RIA
The State Government has invested in creating
better workforce capacity and infrastructure in a
staged plan into the future, but this will take time
to create meaningful change.
Please know we continue to represent this issue
strongly to government. We hear your distress
and understand the crisis that continues to face
you and your patients. Please continue to share
your thoughts with us. Contact our Senior Policy
Adviser, Lewis Horton at lewish@amavic.com.au.
GENERAL PRACTICE
––
New funding was announced to take the learnings
of the successful COVID positive pathways program
and extend the model to people diagnosed with
diabetes complications to reduce emergency
presentations and preventable hospital admissions;
and 28 respiratory clinics will also be funded
throughout the state. We are pleased with the
steps that we have taken over the past few
years that have resulted in State Government
engagement and investment into general practice;
some of which have been revolutionary. We are
hopeful it is just the beginning, leading other
jurisdictions. Please be assured we will continue to
lobby the State Government for the establishment
of a Division of General Practice within the
Victorian Department of Health, to improve GP/
hospital communication and interaction. Indeed
progress is occurring swiftly.
MENTAL HEALTH
––
Whilst acknowledging the government’s
dedication to transformative mental health
reform in Victoria through adoption of all 65
of the Royal Commission into Mental Health’s
recommendations, we had previously expressed
serious reservations about a lack of definitive