Australian Medical Association

AMA Vice President Prof Geoff Dobb speaks to the AMSA Leadership Development Seminar about the future of leadership in health reform. He discusses ways medical students can participate in the AMA, health reform, medical workforce training, working abroad, national consistency in medical training and current AMA projects.

AMA President Dr Steve Hambleton addresses the AMA Parliamentary Dinner. He reviews the Government's National Health Reform Agreement, discusses the AMAs health reform plan, congratulates the Government on plain packaging legislation, and raises the health of asylum seekers.

AMA President Dr Steve Hambleton addresses the National Press Club for his first official speech as AMA President. Dr Hambleton highlights the AMAs health reform plans and criticises the Government for ditching its visionary health reform agenda after it dropped plans for a single funder, failed to deliver new hospital beds and removed a surgery guarantee.

AMA President Dr Andrew Pesce announces the 2011 AMA/ACOSH National Tobacco Scoreboard Award and the 2011 Dirty Astray Award at the AMA National Conference in May 2011.

Engagement and Leadership in Medicine

It is a great honour for Australia to host the World Medical Association and a wonderful opportunity for the AMA to co-host this Symposium on Medical Leadership.

Just as the WMA is a world leader in health policy and debate, the AMA and the NZMA play similar leadership roles on the domestic front.

General Practice - Quality, Capacity, Sustainability

Way back in 2001, the AMA was one of the first organisations to recognise the impending serious workforce shortage in General Practice in Australia.

We instantly took the GP shortage message to governments, the media and the Australian community.

At the start, nobody wanted to listen.  But we kept going with the message year after year after year.

And eventually the Government got the message.

There have been recent increases in the number of medical undergraduates to begin to reverse this shortage – if we can convince enough of them to pursue a career in general practice.

Clinicians driving change: Supporting patient care

It is a great pleasure to represent my medical colleagues at this very important and timely Conference.

The promise of e-health has been on the horizon for many years.

While the full potential of that promise is yet to be delivered, it feels like we are just a little bit closer to making e-health a reality. 

The very fact that we are here today discussing the practical steps we need to develop the personally controlled electronic health record shows how close we really are.

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Dr Mukesh Haikerwal in pushing the e-health agenda.

The National Immunisation Strategy and General Practice

The AMA is a strong advocate for immunisation and it welcomes the review of the National Immunisation Strategy.

It will provide an opportunity to develop a planning framework that will enable us to build on and enhance initiatives in immunisation and vaccine-preventable disease now and for the future.

The National Health and Hospitals Network

Good morning.

My subject today is the Government’s National Health and Hospitals Network.

If this speech was being delivered next week, it could possibly be a very different speech depending on the election result.

Labor and the Coalition have different views on the future of the National Health and Hospitals Network.

It is our job at the AMA to make sure both sides are serious about health reform.

Health Reform Can’t Wait

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting today.

The AMA wants health to be the top priority in this election.

Health will make headlines this election – just as it has for the last couple of years with the Government’s reform agenda.

Now is the time for the major parties to make their case for a fresh mandate on health reform.

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, addresses the AMA Parliamentary Dinner, Great Hall, Parliament House, Wednesday, 10 March 2010

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, outlines details of the AMA Priority Investment Plan for Australia's Health System.

Speech to 'Australia's Health’, The Congress on National Health Reform, Parliament House of Victoria, 30 November 2009

Dr Pesce discusses the health of medical practitioners at the 6th National Doctors' Health Conference in Adelaide.

AMA PRESIDENT, DR ANDREW PESCE, Speech to MIIAA 3rd Medical Indemnity Forum, SYDNEY, 28 August 2009

National Registration – what does it mean for the average doctor

AMA PRESIDENT, DR ANDREW PESCE, Closing Remarks, HEALTH-E NATION, National Convention Centre, Canberra, 19 August 2009

E-health – The need for unity of purpose

AMA VICE PRESIDENT, DR STEVE HAMBLETON, Speech to Catholic Health Australia National Conference, Hobart, Tuesday, 18 August 2009

Improving The Bond Between Primary, Acute and Sub Acute Care 

Introduction

Ladies, gentlemen and distinguished guests, good morning.

As some of you may know, I'm a general practitioner who runs a long-established, but modern, medical practice.

In my practice, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals work collaboratively for the best patient outcomes.

The way I run my practice is logical and works well for both patients and staff.

ROSS STEVENSON: Here are some of the - just adding to the occupations list, that we've got four new occupations from this morning's news alone. There is 'classy cat', 'alleged black widow', 'sex industry stalwart', and now add to the list 'stressed doctors'. That is the thrust of the front page story in the Herald Sun, that our medical system is at breaking point and that doctors are working too many hours and under too much stress.

Dr Rosanna Capolingua is the national president of the Australian Medical Association. Good morning, Doctor.

JAMES LUSH: The first round of public hearings into the Federal Government's proposed changes to Medicare begins in Perth today. The Government plans to lift the income threshold for paying the Medicare surcharge to $100,000 for singles and $150,000 for couples.

Dr Rosanna Capolingua is the president of the Australian Medical Association, and joins us.

You're not very happy about this change at all, are you?

Dr Speck, good morning and thanks for your time.