AMAV VICDOC Winter 2024 - Magazine - Page 60
F ED FACTS — M AY 2024
health system is rightly the
A ustralia’s
envy of the world, but there is much
room for improvement, especially when it
comes to intergovernmental collaboration
— that crucial cooperation between state
and federal governments.
Australians are also a highly mobile
population, and healthcare systems
can be difficult to navigate in
different jurisdictions.
This is why it is so important for the
AMA to be advocating for doctors’ interest
on both fronts — in the federal arena and
in state and territory jurisdictions.
The AMA is a strong advocate of
intergovernmental collaboration in
healthcare to create an efficient and
strong system across the country.
A key issue to date is the federal
government’s vaping reforms, and I
was glad to hear all Australian Health
Ministers came together at their meeting
in Brisbane in April to declare their
support for coordinated action on
vaping to protect young Australians.
This bodes well for intergovernmental
collaboration, which will be absolutely
essential when it comes to implementing
vaping reforms. The Poisons Acts differ
in each jurisdiction, and there are also
differences in tobacco and vape licencing
arrangements, penalties and enforcement.
The Australian Centre for Disease
Control (CDC) is another area where
collaboration between all governments
will be vital.
If implemented effectively, the CDC
would work closely with states and
territories to manage the allocation of
public health workforces and resources
to tackle emerging and current threats.
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It would also complement existing state
and territory disease control measures
and structures by providing national
leadership, coordination, research and
decision making.
The AMA has been integral to the
formation of the CDC, and we will work
hard to ensure it is implemented and
resourced properly.
Medical workforce shortages are
profound, particularly in rural and
regional areas in Australia, where people
find it difficult to see a GP and often
must drive long distances in search
of healthcare.
This is a significant issue requiring
collaboration from all governments,
and in our pre-budget submission
we proposed a $1 billion commitment
to establish an independent health
workforce planning agency.
This agency could supercharge
intergovernmental collaboration by
providing quality evidence to inform new
policies that all governments could act on
to help address regional doctor shortages
right around the country.
Perhaps one of the most concerning
gaps in intergovernmental collaboration
right now is data.
There is currently an intergovernmental
agreement on data sharing, but this is
around how data is shared and protected,
not what data is shared and protected.
Inadequate data linkage has for too long
been a weakness that has limited our
ability as a nation to inform policies
across the country.
Two areas of significant concern
at the moment relate to road safety
and homelessness.
