The Australian Medical Association (WA) Blog showcases a range of commentary, opinion pieces, profiles and insightful features – all designed to educate, inform and yes, in some cases, even entertain.
The AMA (WA) Blog can be accessed by members, all other healthcare professionals and the general public.
I have been seriously impressed in my short time as President by how much the AMA (WA) achieves, publicly and…
COVID-19 is back in the public consciousness. Many of us have had at least a few friends, family members and…
Step Forward: Fight Stigma was developed to increase awareness of stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV whilst…
AMA (WA) President Dr Michael Page was recently invited to give an address at the Royal College of Pathologists of…
At a couple of recent events, I’ve had the great pleasure of welcoming many of our new 2024 intern members…
I have written previously about the structural deficiencies in our Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) disincentivising quality care in general practice.…
This week I attended the Doctors in Training-focused Roundtable, chaired by Simon Millman MLA, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for…
The current WA Health Industrial Agreement is due to expire in September 2024. The 2024 AMA (WA) Bargaining Committee will…
We have world-class clinicians providing world-class care to women and babies in Nedlands, Murdoch and throughout the State. To continue doing…
You should have just received an invitation to a Government Sector Wages Policy Consultation Session. Before the length of that…
We recently became aware of an underpayment of meal allowances affecting all practitioners employed under the WA Health System –…
For more than two years, the AMA (WA) has been arguing before the Industrial Magistrates Court of Western Australia that…
The Abortion Legislation Reform Bill 2023 was introduced into WA Parliament on 21 June 2023, and passed without amendment on…
Industrial Magistrate O’Donnell recently handed down her decision dismissing the AMA (WA)’s claim for GPs (with FRACGP or FACRRM) to…
The State Government has promoted Enrolled Nurses (EN) as a priority occupation, indicating strong demand for EN staff and EN…
As most of you are probably aware, voluntary patient enrolment (VPE), billed by government as MyMedicare, is coming later this…
The AMA (WA)’s Roster Checklist is a step-by-step guide for medical practitioners working in WA Health or St John of…
Advocacy is a vital part of the work that any representative group does. And for medical students, advocates play a…
Why did you join the AMA (WA) Council? I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t the pay! I’ve always been passionate…
Access to annual leave has been a perennial issue and a point of frustration for many doctors working in WA’s…
It was a pleasure to bring MEDCON23, MEDBALL23 and MedVault to the Western Australian, and broader, medical community. These events…
This is my last president’s blog before my term as AMA (WA) President ends. If you’d asked me if I’d…
Delivering the 2023-24 State Budget last Thursday, the WA Premier and Treasurer Mark McGowan put some substantial money on the…
Commenting on the Federal Government announcement that doctors will be able to write prescriptions for two months, and patients get…
The AMA (WA) represents the interests of all doctors in Western Australia. We protect the interests of our members at…
It’s fair to say that the decision to move the new Women and Babies Hospital from King Edward Memorial Hospital…
The Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (ASMOF) is conducting an expression of interest process amongst financial Doctor in Training (DiT)…
Subsidiary Agreements to the WA Health System – Medical Practitioners – AMA Industrial Agreement 2022 have been negotiated between the…
A new WA Health System – Medical Practitioners (Clinical Academics) – AMA Industrial Agreement 2022 has been negotiated between the…
When is an emergency a virtual emergency? When it gets referred to the WA Virtual Emergency Department. Last week, Health…
The following dates are public holidays for Easter 2023 and will incur public holiday penalties/provisions: • Friday 7 April 2023…
The Government is set to reduce COVID-19 leave available to WA public sector employees. The rationale is that there is…
The AMA (WA)’s Industrial Relations Team has liaised with WA Health to successfully have Cost of Living Payment underpayments rectified…
With a new year comes new hope. New hope that we will have a medical system with adequate capacity to…
Exit block has become a big problem. Patients requiring transition to a nursing home or to appropriate disability accommodation, when…
AMA Recruit offers extensive experience in professional recruitment and human resource services that are tailored to client requirements. We develop…
It’s obvious from talking to Professor John Newnham AM that he’s passionate about his life’s work of lowering the preterm…
Over the past few years, I have developed a status of being an advocate for my community in the one…
There will be a lot of talk about how COVID-19 is to blame for the across-the-board awful results in this…
Alcohol is everywhere, especially during the festive season. But how much drinking is social drinking, and how much is stress…
As the end of the year approaches, it is difficult not to reflect on the year that was. The year…
Congratulations to the winners of our 2023 membership renewals promotion! Dr Christopher Mitchell: Winner of three nights’ accommodation for two…
Bedlam is a word shortened from ‘Bethlehem’, as in the London hospital Saint Mary of Bethlehem that started treating mentally…
Mental health is always on our minds at the AMA (WA). In May this year we made a submission to…
I am on a leave of absence from my job as a trainee medical registrar. I informed my hospital I…
When you are an active member of an organisation devoted to elevating your profession, such as the AMA (WA), you…
My work in the public sphere is focused on burns surgery, while the cosmetic side of plastic surgery makes up…
Well, we’re in the unusual vector between a National Day of Mourning for the death of a monarch and the…
GPs and the scientific community agree that the growing aged population is one of our health system’s biggest challenges. The…
He doubles down, he triples down, but it’s the downward spiral of the health system that should be concerning Premier…
Almost precisely one year ago, on Saturday 28 August 2021, the AMA (WA) Action Agenda 2021 was launched. It encapsulated…
Forget climate change just being an environmental issue. The world has moved on. It’s now an economic issue, a community…
Q. After leadership roles at the University of Notre Dame Fremantle and most recently, St John of God Subiaco Hospital,…
COVID-19 processes will be scaled back at WA public hospitals from Monday. Under the System Alert and Response (SAR) framework,…
City-based doctors may assume that the outcome of the Industrial Agreement (IA) will have little impact on General Practice. While…
Why did you join the AMA (WA) Council? Senior doctors and doctors in training have been going through a turbulent…
A big thank you to those who attended MEDCON22 at Crown, whether in its entirety or just the Friday or…
If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever. Much…
Formed in 2006, the WA Doctors’ Orchestra (WADO) is comprised of doctors and medical students who are also classically trained…
The Registered Organisations Commission (ROC) has made arrangements with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) under Section 189 of the Fair…
This week we got our first glimpse of the work of the not very impressively named James Webb Space Telescope.…
My team of researchers at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, with funding from the Shake It Up Australia Foundation…
The Registered Organisations Commission (ROC) has made arrangements with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) under Section 189 of the Fair…
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, goes a Chinese proverb. In the case of the…
The Medical Board (AHPRA) together with the Australian Medical Council (AMC) are revising the standards for continuing professional development (CPD),…
It’s no secret or surprise that COVID-19 and related restrictions imposed to protect our public health has reportedly had a…
A recently published systematic review of the evidence related to e-cigarettes undertaken by the Australian National University is the most…
The AMA (WA) has joined leading health and medical organisations in the State to call on the WA Government to…
It was both surprising and disappointing to learn the McGowan Government has planned to expand the community pharmacy vaccination program.…
At Monday night’s AGM, I was re-elected, for a second year, as AMA (WA) President, along with Vice Presidents Dr…
Dr Franc Henze on the freedom, the views and the feeling when flying his trusty Cirrus amidst the clouds. Janine…
In the latest example of AMA (WA) advocacy achieving significant results for members, a deal has been struck for compensation…
When you’ve been sounding the alarm and telling people to batten down the hatches, it’s based on the best advice…
Our public hospitals are in crisis. You may have heard me repeat this more than a few times lately. While…
Traipsing the hospital corridors as a glassy-eyed medical student with a decorative stethoscope may evoke recent or distant memories, but…
After graduating from Lady Hardinge Medical College and completing my internship in New Delhi, India, I relocated to Australia in…
The AMA (WA) welcomes the close attention and thorough review of the concerns regarding child and adolescent mental health services…
The WA Branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) has been eagerly awaiting the release…
I think most of us have struggled to varying degrees to keep our practices going and care for our patients…
Talk about the zeitgeist. Our Medicus cover story this month is all about climate change, particularly as it applies to…
The AMA (WA) welcomes the close attention and thorough review of the concerns regarding child and adolescent mental health services,…
Life has had its share of ups and downs for Premier Mark McGowan in recent times. He has had COVID-19…
It was both surprising and disappointing to find out the State Government was planning to expand the community pharmacy vaccination…
So, did Premier Mark McGowan follow the best medical advice last week in reducing restrictions? If you are a logical…
Far be it for me to ‘Crow’ too much (a one-point nailbiter to the Dockers over Adelaide can do that…
International Women’s Day is a good time to reflect on what has been done to advance and empower women, and…
Voluntary Assisted Dying in WA: the people’s choice Dr Scott Blackwell Chair, VAD Board WA Leading up to the passage…
We’re more than a week into the full border reopening, and really, all things considered (and not to deliberately make…
The foreshadowed opening of WA’s borders is likely to result in a significant increase in demand by employees for leave…
If I were to summarise 2022 in a word, it would be “change”. By the time you read this, everything…
Despite COVID pressures, health services must do their very best to facilitate access to annual leave. Limited access to annual…
As a doctor in training (DiT), leave has become an increasingly scarce resource in a healthcare system at breaking point.…
It’s easy to think of COVID-19 as some sort of military adversary, and that’s before you take into account our…
Less than a year ago, Amber-Jade Sanderson was elevated to the role of WA Minister for Environment, Climate Action and…
With the COVID-19 Omicron variant’s rapid community progress, it’s a challenge to keep up with the endless changes to government…
When you’re a leading colorectal surgeon with three non-fiction books about the workings of the bowels, there’s probably the temptation…
Western Australia is heading back to school tomorrow, so good luck to all parents negotiating one of the most stressful…
I was fortunate to attend the recent Australian Public Health Conference in Cairns, which brought together public health professionals from…
It was heartening to see a number of events celebrating diversity and the LGBTI community held across the State recently…
Dr Omar Khorshid, AMA Federal President, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Head of Department, Fremantle Hospital, Managing Partner, Coastal Orthopaedic Group. Most of…
If a tree falls in a forest and nobody hears it, did it really make a sound? I can assure…
Managing expectations and learning new skills on the fly is essential to the transition from medical school to the workplace…
With no formal state workforce plan and experienced psychiatrists exiting the public system, Psychiatry in WA is in crisis, writes…
On my first day as an intern, I stood at the top of the stairs in the middle of the…
It is an honour to take on the role of AMA (WA) Doctors in Training (DiT) Co-Chair to represent and…
Q. Why did you join the AMA (WA) Council? TC: I think that the best healthcare systems protect the direct,…
It has been an action-packed 2021 for the program with more volunteers and schools signing up than previous years. After…
With a little more than a month to go before the close of 2021, it is customary to look back…
An Emergency Care Summit saw key stakeholders collaborating on workable solutions to offer immediate relief from ED overcrowding in public…
As Western Australia grappled with the ongoing impact of the pandemic, the AMA (WA) has continued to strongly advocate for…
After years of negotiation and the matter being taken to the WA Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC), two female doctors at…
Just lately, I’ve seen the future. No, I haven’t opened up a portal to another dimension in some forgotten section of Charlie’s,…
Once again, the AMA (WA) has been unrelenting in its representation of doctors, patients and the wider community in the…
At a media conference at the AMA (WA) office on Monday, 13 December 2021, AMA (WA) President Dr Mark Duncan-Smith…
A key component of being a medical student is one’s ability to access, perceive, understand, retain and recall information. Owing…
In a series of annual report cards, the AMA has made significant contributions to strategic directions for Aboriginal health. To…
The pro-disease lobby hasn’t exactly hit a wall but you wouldn’t say they were in pole position right now. This week a woman crashed into…
Invisible Boys and What Young People Want from Mental Health Services both offer confronting insights into youth mental health. Considering…
Mark Duncan-Smith AMA (WA) has created an emergence plan on the back of feedback that we’ve had from people in…
When you’re a surgeon whose skills can determine the health outcomes of an anaesthetised patient who has given themselves completely…
The key issue of rural health has been in the news of late and not in a positive manner. Doctors…
Dr Susie Cann is a general practitioner at GPs on Bayview in Claremont. Her special interest is in child and…
The recent commitment to fund additional eating disorder services in WA’s public health system is welcome, but is it enough…
The last two weeks have been proud ones for the AMA (WA). They have epitomised what this organisation exists to achieve. Our workplace relations team was in the WA…
It’s a three-letter word that is possibly the most commonly used in modern medicine. The word is ‘bed’ and it…
WA Health decision-makers and doctors came together to discuss how our health system can embrace climate sustainability at all levels.…
For years the Australian Medical Association (WA) has played a leading role in making smoking history. The AMA (WA) has…
Close to 100 doctors and practice administration staff logged on to the inaugural session of the AMA (WA)’s Practice Management…
It took yet another COVID-19 scare – this time courtesy an interstate truck driver – for the McGowan Government to…
General practitioners have undoubtedly done the heavy lifting to get COVID-19 vaccination rolled out across Australia, not just in the…
Stay home when sick. Seems like such a no-brainer. Especially when we deal with patients who are already compromised and…
It’s no secret or surprise that COVID-19 and related restrictions imposed to protect our public health has reportedly had a…
The AMA (WA) regularly makes submissions to Government relating to legislative change. Sometimes the submission is prompted by a particular…
I had an extraordinary experience in January. Mental health hit the headlines and I had a little time on my…
Recently I’ve fielded a lot of questions from the media about WA opening up to the rest of the country and…
Much has changed since the Australian Medical Association (WA) last conducted its biennial senior public hospital doctor morale and engagement…
This article provides a perspective on a doctor’s professional journey over a lifetime, with a focus on the last phases…
It has been 25 years since that fateful day when Australian woke to the news of a shooting rampage at…
Never has Australia been more focused on solid strategies to control and eliminate infectious diseases. But while attention has been…
Given the long weekend we’ve just had, it may have seemed a bit churlish to invite the media along to the AMA (WA) offices…
I first used the term ‘demand tsunami’ for a five-minute presentation to a health innovation meeting in Sydney in 2002.…
In the last week of July, I attended the AMA National Conference; unfortunately via a rather stultified Zoom experience. I…
The push toward 24-hour medicine and the constant demands of the Four-Hour Rule have led to a significant increase in…
Treating patients in custodial settings presents a unique set of challenges for primary care providers. Not only do prisoners frequently…
No state budget can ever earn itself the title perfect except from the most optimistic treasurer. The 2012–13 Western Australian…
In June, AMA (WA)’s MEDCON21 session on ‘Climate change, health and sustainability in WA – linking science to action’, saw…
Yesterday Premier Mark McGowan, who doubles as WA Treasurer these days, delivered the State Budget. You may recall that about a…
As we near the end of our third intern term, I reflect on all that has changed over the last…
Over the last four decades, Australia has implemented numerous tobacco control initiatives, including tobacco excises, bans on tobacco advertising, smoke-free…
Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a multi-systemic genetic disorder characterised by benign indolent neurofibromas in subcutaneous and deep locations but is also associated…
In the last week of July, I attended the AMA National Conference; unfortunately via a rather stultified Zoom experience. I…
Don’t we live in the ‘lucky country’! I have never seen a patient with epiglottitis. Neither have I had one…
Last year the AMA (WA) took a major swipe at the 2020/21 State Budget, calling it a “lost opportunity” due…
The United Nations has stated that health is a fundamental human right and every human being is entitled to the…
Mental health presentations in Western Australian emergency departments have increased significantly over the last decade. According to current AIHW data…
An election is coming up early next year. Health will be a hot topic, even more so than usual. The Australian…
Earlier this year Health Minister Roger Cook said he was not responsible for the culture in an emergency department where…
The use of overseas trained temporary visa doctors (TVDs) to meet Unmet Areas of Need now accounts for almost 30%…
There’s a lot of theatre about a State Budget, and I’m not talking medical theatres. We always knew there’d be…
Yesterday morning, AMA (WA) President Dr Mark Duncan-Smith was a guest of West Live with Ben O’Shea. In a wide-ranging…
Bulk billing is leading to the demise of general practice because it is allowing the Government to set the fees.…
It’s a matter of weeks since I was elected President of the AMA (WA). Who would have thought we’d be…
Despite the many health issues we currently face, it didn’t take long to determine the focus of my inaugural president’s…
He may have ascended to the top position in WA’s peak medical body but as a young man, our new…
I remember, as a final-year medical student, several lecturers saying something along the lines of “there isn’t much difference between…
The Registered Organisations Commission (ROC) has made arrangements with the Australian Electoral Commission (‘AEC’) under Section 189 of the Fair…
The Fair Work Commission and the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission handed down their 2021 Minimum Wage Decisions on 16…
Discussing sleep issues is easy, particularly with hard-working people like medical practitioners. We all know how poor sleep affects our…
Meet Dr Corey Dalton, GP Registrar, Joondalup Health Campus Where were you born / where did you grow up? Did…
Meet Dr Lorraine Anderson, Medical Director, Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Ltd Where were you born / where did you grow…
Two weeks ago this evening, I was very proud to be confirmed as the new President of the AMA (WA)…
In June 2021, the trend for ambulance ramping (the time patients spent waiting in ambulances to access emergency departments, beyond…
From today, 1 July 2021, an eligible adult will now be able to access voluntary assisted dying (VAD) as part…
The AMA (WA)’s inaugural Gala Ball was one of the highlights of MEDCON21 with 600 doctors and corporate guests gathering…
The role of the Implementation Leadership Team (ILT) on Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) has been clear from the outset. The…
The ASMOF WA Branch Financial Report is now available. The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (RO Act) imposes financial accountability obligations…
Here’s the interview with AMA (WA) President, Dr Andrew Miller, on The Project with Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson, Thursday, 20…
Burnout is a term frequently used by physicians and medical students alike, however, most discussions on the issue rarely venture…
Here’s a transcript of a media conference with AMA (WA) President, Dr Andrew Miller, on Monday 3 May 2021. The…
A consultant/specialist is defined as anyone who holds the qualification of a university or college, recognised by the Australian Medical…
A ruptured relationship between doctors and WACHS Senior Executive has triggered a pressure cooker situation at Bunbury Regional Hospital. “WACHS…
The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (RO Act) imposes financial accountability obligations on Federal Registered Unions. The obligations include…
Hospital Health Check is more than a survey. It’s a chance for doctors in training (DiTs) to have their say…
The AMA (WA) is pleased to be making progress with the enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) negotiations for WA doctors. WA…
The Registered Organisations Commission (ROC) has made arrangements with the Australian Electoral Commission (‘AEC’) under Section 189 of the Fair…
The pandemic has been a festival of delight for the connoisseur of dysfunction. The quality of our reasoning, the fitness…
Here’s a transcript of AMA (WA) President, Dr Andrew Miller on ABC Radio Perth, Breakfast with Russell Woolf, Wednesday, 17…
We all know that our emergency departments are crowded. Ambulance ramping is at unprecedented levels. A significant minority of patients…
Q&A with Dr Brigid Corrigan, consultant plastic surgeon 1. Why did you join the Council of the AMA (WA)? BC:…
There will be many issues competing for attention this year. My choice of title is deliberate, as now more than…
As 2020 drew to a close, I think we were all hoping that the year ahead would mark a return…
This is a first-hand account of a woman’s hospital nightmare in a letter written to the Health Minister and St…
ED docs in survival mode in “war zone” In recent months, the hours that patients have spent waiting within ambulances,…
4,111 hours – the unforgettable scandal blocking access to emergency care The past year will forever be remembered for its…
This article looks at how the government has largely overlooked measures that support women in the workplace. The impacts of…
Starting my intern year with a mixed General Practice and medical ward rotation in Albany has been an exciting and…
We all dodged a bullet when the recent case of SARS-Cov-2 escaped from oxymoronic ‘hotel quarantine’ in Perth. Thankfully it…
We often hear the next generation, who speak openly about their feelings, described as soft or weak. They aren’t. This…
Dr Mudra Shah writes a letter to her younger self and shares some important lessons Dear Me, I am writing…
In December 2017, the ‘renewed’ Australian National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) commenced, with the following main features: Five-yearly primary HPV…
2020 has been a year to remember for all the wrong reasons. The impact of COVID-19 has disrupted our lives…
At this time of year, we often reflect on the 12 months that have just passed – the issues, the…
Q: Why did you join the AMA (WA) Council? AS: During the COVID crisis, I had worked closely with the AMA…
At the start of 2021, with vaccines on the horizon, Australia has demonstrated its ability to control SARS-CoV-2 via border…
As we come to the end of 2020, we reflect on what can only be described as a tumultuous year…
It was quiet in the theatre, for the Christmas break had come No more elective cases, only pus and blood…
Inaction by the McGowan Government is causing complete chaos for patients in WA’s emergency departments. September 2020 marked a dark…
Governments should use the COVID-19 crisis as a blank canvas to address some serious public health issues, writes Miika Coppard.…
You know this means you’ll lose your long service leave.” These were the words from our Director of Medical Services…
Meet the AMA (WA) Councillor: Dr Celine Baber tells us why she chose Anaesthesia as her specialty and about her…
This year, the Hospital Health Check (HHC) has revealed an area that all health services can significantly improve on –…
The annual AMA (WA) Hospital Health Check continues to place a significant emphasis on the twin issues of morale and…
Annual leave. It conjures up visions of landmark buildings and monuments, sunbathing on beautiful beaches, chasing waterfalls, hiking up rugged…
In July 2020, as part of our EBA advocacy, the Australian Medical Association (WA) wrote to Hon. Bill Johnston, Minister…
AMA members are eligible to receive up to $2,000^ cashback on top of the cashback offer from the bank or…
Every year, the AMA (WA) Hospital Health Check publishes important data about junior doctor burnout, wellbeing, teaching and training, and…
Since March 2019, the Australian Medical Association (WA) and WA Health, represented by System-Wide Industrial Relations Service (SWIRS), have been…
In January 2015, Steve Fenner, founding Head of Psychiatry at Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) called, struggling to find a lead…
There is no part of 2020 not marked forever by the emergence of COVID-19, the devastating impacts of which we…
Being on call is synonymous with doctoring. When I tell non-medical friends why I can’t make it to an event,…
Why is it important for GP specialists to have parity with other specialists in pay and conditions in the public…
The AMA (WA) is asking rural and remote doctors to provide feedback on the operation of the Patient Assisted Travel…
Get an insight into how you can make job-sharing for internships work, with all the demands that come with juggling…
WA has the nation’s highest rate of unintentional drug-induced deaths but where is the will to turn around this unwanted…
Ending the commercial sale of cigarettes will not occur overnight but we need to start the conversation, writes Maurice Swanson.
WA doctors invited to help shape WA’s approach to Advance Care Planning education, training and awareness raising. WA Health is…
During a recent consultation with a mother regarding her young child with an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), I said…
The Australian Medical Association (WA) has recently shone the spotlight on questionable industrial practices involving the local employment of fellows.…
Smoking causes about 21,000 deaths per year in Australia, with about 8,000 of those due to cancer. Whilst most people…
During times of uncertainty, and in particular over recent months, it is a question that I have often pondered. For…
“He pulled me back by my hair and pushed me to the ground. He put his hands around my neck.…
Trigger warning: The following articles contain references to sexual assault, which some readers may find distressing. A 2019 report by…
This year marked the second iteration of the Honourable Roger Cook’s Your Voice in Health engagement survey, which gives WA…
You must think I’m a terrible mum,” says Megan. She sits down in front of me, having just wrestled two…
Well here we are in 2020 and what a tumultuous year it’s been in healthcare. As a new intern, a…
Smoking causes about 21,000 deaths per year in Australia, with about 8,000 of those due to cancer. Whilst most people…
Have you experienced burnout? I have, and what was most shocking from my experience was how quickly it overwhelmed me,…
Why is it important for GP specialists to have parity with other specialists in pay and conditions in the public…
I’ve always known that to have a career in medicine, you had to be extraordinary. We are reminded of this…
Many areas of our society, and our profession in particular, have been dramatically affected by COVID-19. One area of our…
Alcohol brands and retailers have done their best to keep their usual customers drinking during the anything-but-usual past few months.…
In 2017, I was admitted to the mental health unit at the hospital where I work. For two months after…
Continuity of patient care is an issue that plagues public and private mental health systems, both in Western Australia and…
The COVID-19 pandemic is simultaneously one of the biggest challenges and opportunities in HBF’s 80-year history. As a not-for-profit fund…
Every year around this time, shortages of junior medical staff become apparent. Leave relief pools have disappeared, there are desperate…
The AMA (WA) wrote to NMHS following reports that asbestos had been identified at Osborne Park Hospital (OPH). The AMA…
The use of substances including nicotine, cannabis, methamphetamines, alcohol and other illicit drugs remains an enormous public health issue in…
Drug and alcohol addiction is a health issue with complex biological, psychological and social aetiology. It is a chronic relapsing,…
Substance and behavioural addictions are abundantly present in communities, and therefore in clinical practice, throughout Australia. Armchair commentary imbued with…
Not a week goes by at the Australian Medical Association (WA) without one of our Workplace Relations team members receiving…
Central City Medical Centre is set to become the first general practice in Australia to receive automated payments for pre-approved…
The Australian Medical Association (WA) has launched its brand new edition of Med e-link – in more ways than one!…
Humans are meaning making machines. We link together information, that is often unrelated, and come up with a story to…
The mental wellbeing of doctors is, and will remain, a persistent concern. Great strides, however, have been made to progress…
GP training is structured very differently from the often rigid arrangements seen in the hospital system, with the vast majority…
Like all jobs, being a GP registrar has its pros and cons. However, in the 21st century, the cons should…
Have you ever walked into a supermarket and walked out with a chocolate bar, bag of chips or soft drink…
Medical workforce has always been a challenging issue in Australia. It takes up to 15 years of medical school, junior…
Over the past three months, there have been many changes afoot in the federal doctors in training (DiT) landscape. Even…
I was fortunate enough in 2002 to attend a talk by Canadian Dr Joe MacInnes, one of the three-member crew…
Healthcare workers (HCWs), including doctors, run toward COVID-19. After all, medicine is our calling, our identity and the profession that…
Social distancing and self-isolation are necessary steps in slowing the spread of COVID-19, but for people with hearing loss who…
Cancer Council WA’s new campaign – ‘Junk food doesn’t belong in sport’ – is a timely reminder of the proliferation…
COVID-19. A virus that has changed so much in the lives of so many. Lines at Centrelink. Shops and restaurants…
Our latest edition of Medicus was dedicated to those extraordinary doctors who willingly put themselves at risk to serve the…
AMA Medical Products is playing a key logistical role in supporting healthcare professionals across Western Australia gain access to much-need…
At a time of disaster and uncertainty, as we are currently experiencing with the COVID-19 pandemic, most people will be…
DR ANGELA JANE ALESSANDRI Associate Professor, School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle. Consultant Paediatrician, Rural Paediatric Service, Child…
In 2009, the Lancet called climate change the biggest global health threat of the 21st century (Costello et al., 2009…
The Climate Health WA Inquiry is nearing completion, with the final report to be delivered to the Minister for Health…
There should not be a need for this article. Unfortunately, in a world where fake news is accepted as fact…
Almost 11 years ago, the Lancet published its seminal report: Managing the health effects of climate change, calling it the…
Recent policy choices by the Federal Government, to first place a limit on indexing, then restart without any catch-up, once…
With the Federal Government intending to develop and implement a 10-year Primary Health Care Plan, the AMA has developed a…
Even before SARS in 2002, the AMA was calling for the establishment of a national Centre for Disease Control (CDC),…
WA HEALTH PUBLIC HOLIDAY PAY Hours worked on a public holiday shall attract a penalty of 150 per cent, or,…
A medical device start-up established at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, is aiming to help patients undergoing one…
For our final rural trip of 2019, a group of 24 Dr YES volunteers embarked on a five-day visit to…
There are a few things that can make working the wards difficult at Christmas – being separated from family and…
The past year in health is best described as a rollercoaster of a year, with some incredible highs, some screaming…
At the end of 2018, the Australian Medical Association (WA) was looking forward to what should have been a formative…
Dr Ahmed Kazmi is a doctor based in Western Australia. He is also based in London. He is also a…
This year Western Australian General Practice Education and Training (WAGPET) focused its efforts on understanding community need and better supporting…
Traditionally, December is the time when we reflect on the achievements of the year – the highs and sometimes, the…
As we undertake the next steps of renewal at the Australian Medical Association (WA) in the coming months, the Board…
In October 2019 the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) banned the use and recalled any implants not yet inserted for…
Every year, the AMA (WA)’s award-winning Dr YES program engages with around 10,000 students at metropolitan and rural schools in…
As I sit to write my final column for Medicus as MSAND President, it has been nice to take stock…
This month’s Medicus magazine focused on morale in our hospitals – but what about morale amongst us general practitioners? Some…
It’s 3pm on a Thursday afternoon. I’ve just left ED to teach my students when my phone rings. It’s a…
A team of WA researchers has uncovered new genes that could play an important role in the development of sarcoma,…
Gender diversity in leadership is being recognised as an important issue in our profession. And while some training colleges and…
The past year has seen numerous blows to the case for e-cigarettes, despite mounting pressure from vaping advocates to relax…
Our government is absolutely committed to delivering first-class aged care for senior Australians. Our elders deserve to be treated with…
After 12 months in full time academia, I returned to clinical work early this year. It left me oscillating between…
The stress of planning a family is real, especially for pre-vocational DiTs who for the most part operate on 12-month…
SCENARIO: Mrs Smith is a 73-year-old widow. She has diabetes and osteoarthritis. Mrs Smith attends water aerobics twice a week.…
AMA (WA) President Dr Andrew Miller spent over an hour with Health Minister Roger Cook at the Association’s office, asking…
Work-life balance is a term that we hear often and like most other professions, the medical community has its own…
The latest issue of Medicus (which focused on sexual harassment) has brought to light the fact that junior doctors are…
Ramping is one of the most commonly heard words in Western Australia, but a quick check on its definition provides…
For as long as I’ve been involved with the Doctors in Training Committee, there’s been a permanent fixture on the…
Dr Andy Robertson knows only too well that if death is the great leveller, then disaster comes a close second.…
Well before the onset of COVID-19, and with different diseases in their sights, the AMA (WA) was intent on improving…
Off the cuff recently, I said to a colleague, that after 30 years of practice, “I can do the clinical…
The specialty of sleep medicine has evolved over the last decade, but it is vital to upskill and engage primary…
Keith Wilson AM: Former WA Minister for Health; Former Chairman, Mental Health Council of Australia; Director, Meeting For Minds The…
Are ethics in medicine unchangeable? Do they stand the test of time despite advances in modern medicine and the evolving…
MA Vice President, Professor Geoffrey Dobb has said the new Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) patient rebates, to apply from 1…
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