MEDICUS MARCH 2016

AMA IN THE MEDIA A M A I N T H E M E D I A

AMA (WA) ANGERED BY NEW HEALTH BILL

MORE SURGERY CHAOS WARNING WA’s peak medical group has warned of more surgery cancellations and staffing chaos as hospitals wait for new recruits to bypass the State Government’s public sector external recruitment freeze. The Health Department said exemptions for more than 200 positions in metropolitan and regional hospitals have been granted to replace existing staff and hire new posts. “If the department says anaesthetists are not starting this week, then it goes without saying that there will be more delays (in surgery),” AMA (WA) President Dr Michael Gannon said. “There will also have to be some creative rostering by hospitals who are waiting for these anaesthetists and all these other staff,” Dr Gannon said. Sunday Times, 21 February 2016 VIOLENCE ESCALATES AGAINST ED STAFF Staff at Perth public hospitals are increasingly relying on security staff to

Draft legislation aimed at “devolving” how the WA health system is run has been slammed by WA’s peak medical body. Under the Bill, Health Minister Kim Hames would “cease to control hospitals.” The Bill would also formalise the establishment of new “metropolitan health boards” for the North, South and East areas. But AMA (WA) President Dr Michael Gannon said he felt “misled and let down” by Dr Hames for not ensuring that that doctors would have seats on the new boards. “The Minister made all the right noises. We do feel misled. We feel let down. It is hugely disappointing. For them not to specify proper doctor representation, to not have a requirement on the boards, just goes to show they haven’t listened and they don’t get it. Perth Now, 23 February 2016

stay safe, with a staggering 20,000 “code black” threat alarms reported last year. Doctors say knives, machetes and even guns are being seen in hospital emergency departments and they believe the level of violence and intimidation is worsening. AMA (WA) emergency medicine spokesman Dr David Mountain said staff were heavily reliant on security staff when violence flared, and they responded quickly. “We’ve had multiple staff injured in the past year, some having to be stitched up or take time off works for weeks with concussion,” Dr Mountain said. The West Australian, 8 February 2016

well over 3,500 people, while AMA (WA) President Dr Michael Gannon’s statement on the disconnection between frontline staff and management at Fiona Stanley Hospital was also highly supported. Dr Gannon’s recent comments on “skin to skin” contact between exhausted mothers and newborns garnered a significant response on both Facebook and Twitter, with a few expressing their opposition to the ‘medicalisation’ of child birth.

Comments made by various AMA (WA) spokespeople over the past month have received a significant amount of attention on social media, with the reactions ranging from highly supportive to critical. A/Prof David Mountain’s comments on the unacceptable levels of violence in our hospitals were very well received on Facebook , reaching

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