AMA VICDOC Spring 2023 - Magazine - Page 13

DR SARAH WHITELAW
A/PROF VINAY RANE
DR SUE ENGLISH OAM
Emergency medicine physician
Royal Melbourne Hospital
AMAV Board Member
Obstetrician &
Gynaecologist
Melbourne Mothers
General practitioner
Brighton Family &
Women’s Clinic

My biggest personal challenge in
2021 is ensuring that our existing
health system issues pre-COVID
continue to be addressed. In
many ways the pandemic has
exposed how severe the stress
on our acute health system
really is, and more clearly
revealed the dangers of having
inadequate surge capacity to
manage even daily fluctuations
in our acute system demand.
We can't stop progressing the
system improvements that we
desperately need!
I'm determined to ensure the
impact of the pandemic on our
health workforce drives reform
at all levels, including industrial,
the mental and physical
health of our profession and
occupational health and safety.
I need to find my new balance
of professional, personal and
advocacy roles that 2020
upended — and I think many of
our colleagues and our patients'
and their families’ needs have
shifted also. I think in 2021 I
need to be very aware that it will
take significant time to work out
exactly what the impacts are
of even the last 12 months, and
that this is truly a marathon. I'm
really conscious also of actively
appreciating the extraordinary
progress that we have made
in many areas of medicine and
science in such a short period of
time — a truly amazing period for
our profession.
Recently, medicine has tended
to be viewed by the community
as a retail commodity much
like any other. Our practice
has been relegated to a good
or service which is provided
in exchange for a fee. The
expectations of our patients are
at an all-time high, not only with
regards to clinical outcomes but
also with waiting times, ancillary
services and the food served in
our hospitals. At the conclusion
of the patient experience,
patients are invited to publicly
rate us from one to five stars,
indistinguishable from any other
transaction in the community.
As a profession, our focus has
largely been directed on the
impact that this culture shift
has had on our patients.
Nevertheless, we must take
care to ensure that this doesn’t
affect our profession adversely
also. The global pandemic and
border closures have helped
us appreciate more traditional
values. A return to a time
when we had colleagues, not
competitors; and patients,
not clients, would be warmly
welcomed. Disease alone is
a formidable opponent, but
now that we also face political,
business, regulatory and
popularity challenges, we must
recognise that our profession is
far stronger united than divided.
Coming off the back of 2020,
with the advent of telehealth,
practice nursing staff hour
cuts and social distancing
in response to COVID, my
biggest challenge is going to
be re-engaging patients in their
preventative healthcare and
catching up on regular over
75 year-old health assessments,
Pap smears, skin cancer
checks etc.
Our practice is going to be
stretched further managing the
rollout of the COVID vaccine,
let alone the flu vaccine.
Preventative healthcare is
a very important part of
general practice, as well as
our day-to-day management
of illness. The fear factor
of COVID transmission has
played a massive part in
patients ignoring their
regular checks and “only
doing what’s necessary”.
VI CD O C AUTU M N 202 1
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