All Media Enquiries
Journalists should contact the CEO Tony Steven in the first instance. 03 6223 2047 or 0409 219 368. Background information should be sent to ceo@amatas.com.au
Depending on the issue being addressed the relevant member Doctor will then respond.
Department of Health and Human Services Media Releases and Articles. Click here.
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29th July 2010
Super Clinic threaten local GP's
The Gillard Government has allocated $233m for the construction of an additional 23 Super Clinics, most of which will be built in areas already well serviced by GPs. Dr. Michael Aizen, President of AMA Tasmania, said that they should complement existing GP services, not compete with them. Click here for the full release.
26th July 2010
Emergency Department Funding Welcomed
Dr. Michael Aizen President of the AMA in Tasmania has welcomed the Government's announcement this morning in Launceston on additional funding for the training of an extra 27 specialist emergency doctors per year around the country for the next 10 years making a total of 270 over that period. Especially pleasing is the recognition that funding is required not only for the additional doctors in training but also their supervisors.
Of all the emergency departments around the country, 27 new doctors a year is only a small increase, but this is a step in the right direction. With the influx of junior doctors graduating over the next few years this will assist in relieving the pressure on placements as well.
Click here for the full Media Release from Dr Aizen.
Click here for the the Federal Presidents Release.
22nd July 2010
Junior Doctors without a Job!
Up to 20 Tasmanian final year medical students may miss out on first year training positions, next year. This would mean they will be unable to complete that year in order to become a fully accredited doctor. This flies in the face of the Tasmanian Premier's recent promise to provide training places for all Tasmanian domestic medical students.
After five to six years of training at a considerable cost to the community, some students will be either forced to leave Tasmania to pursue their careers or find work unrelated to their medical degree. Either way, Tasmanians will lose out.
Despite an ongoing request to the State Government, by both the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Australian Medical Students' Association (AMSA), to increase funding to cover the increased demand for intern places, no acceptable outcome has been reached. Not only will these students be unable to practise as doctors, but Tasmania as a whole will suffer because of the reduced number of doctors likely to work here.
Click here for the AMA media release.
Click here for the ASMA media release.
1st July 2010
Family Doctors remain the backbone of the Australian Health System ....But Under Pressure
The latest Australia's Health 2010 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) confirms yet again that GPs are the backbone of front line health care delivery in Australia, with 113 million services delivered to patients during 2008-09.
AMA Tasmania President, Dr Michael Aizen, said today that the AIHW report confirms that GPs are increasingly dealing with older patients with more complex care needs.
Click here for the full media release.
Click here for the Complex and Chronic Disease Care Plan from the AMA.
13th June 2010
Money Wasted on Super Clinics
The Federal Government has allocated $233m for the construction of an additional 23 Super Clinics, most of which will be built in areas well serviced by GPs. Dr. Michael Aizen, President of AMA Tasmania, said that they should complement existing GP services, not compete with them. AMA Tasmania calls for the reallocation of this money to add to the $117m already announced for infrastructure improvement of existing General Practices to allow for education of medical students, prevocational trainees, GP Registrars, practice nurses and allied health professionals.
Click here for the full media Release.
20th May 2010
General Practice Nurse Jobs at Risk in Tasmania
The decision by the Rudd Government to alter the format of funding of nurses currently employed in General Practices will have the perverse effect of increasing the strain on Tasmanian General Practitioners. The Rudd Government intends to withdraw all the Medicare items for services provided by a practice nurse in December 2011 and for Tasmanian General Practices replace the items with block grants of $30,000 for a fully registered nurse or $15,000 for an enrolled nurse for each full time General Practitioner. Practices with more than 5 doctors will be capped at $150,000. This will make the employment of Practice Nurses not financially viable. It will significantly increase the workload of our already hard pressed Tasmanian General Practitioners.
14th January 2010
Radiotherapy machine not feasible at NWRH.
AMA Tasmania welcomes the news that both major parties support an expansion of cancer services in North-West Tasmania. However, the establishment of a linear accelerator at the North-West Regional Hospital should not be an element of any such proposal. Click here for the full media release.
15th December 2009
RHH plumbs new depths of dysfunctionality and there is worse to come.
The Royal Hobart Hospital's status as a teaching institution is now in question with the Hospital administration's failure to ensure the accreditation of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit's program for specialist training. The RHH looks like being the first ever tertiary teaching hospital in Australasia to have its training status withdrawn by Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. This is a dismal result for those doctors currently training in the specialty but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Click here for the full media release.
20th November 2009
Medical Council must have the resourses.
AMA Tasmania, once again calls upon the Tasmanian Government to ensure that the Medical Council has adequate resources at its disposal to enable a conclusion to the investigation against Dr. McGinity in the near future. Click here to read the whole release.
12th November 2009
Hand Washing Essential
Acting President of the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Dr. Michael Aizen welcomed the Tasmanian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance Report released by the Tasmanian Government yesterday. Click here to read the whole release.
21st October 2009
Boxing
As the hype over the Launceston boxing event "Road to Rematch" reaches frenzy point, Tasmanian doctors are calling for the introduction of new laws to more strictly control boxing in the State and in particular for the banning of children taking part in any boxing or boxing related activity. Click here for the whole release!
14th October 2009
Report Card on Tasmanian Hospitals
The AMA Public Hospital Report Card was released nationally today in Sydney and shows a decline in the performance of Tasmanian Public Hospitals for the period 2007/08. Tasmanian AMA President Dr. Chris Middleton expressed concern about the statistics shown for Tasmania.
To read the media release click here, and to see the Report Card on the Federal Website click here.
24th August 2009
AMA does not support Parliamentary Inquiry into Medical registration Act
AMA Tasmania remains extremely concerned about the very difficult situation in which its longstanding member, Dr. Paul McGinity of Scottsdale, currently finds himself. Nevertheless, a Joint Select Committee Investigation is unlikely to be at all helpful and may be counter-productive. The question of how to balance public interest and safety against natural justice for an individual is a difficult one with no easy answer. The AMA appreciates that the Medical Council considered that it had to take action in the interests of public safety. Whether the action taken was justified and appropriate remains to be seen as the details of the Council's concerns have yet to be released.
Read the complete media release!
31st July 2009
AMA concurs with Minister on Attracting Doctors to State
"Tasmania needs to be able to recruit and retain a high quality medical workforce", said AMA Tasmania President Chris Middleton. "This requires doctors working full time in the state public hospitals having access to terms and conditions competitive with the Australian market.
Read the complete media release!
20th July 2009
Media Briefing: AMA response to Liberal's proposal at State Council
As a one off measure to assist those patients who have waited for much longer than is clinically justifiable, this proposal may have some merit although there are many issues and potential pitfalls which would need to be carefully considered and we would need to see all the details of the proposed scheme.
9th July 2009
AMA and ANF joint release
The Tasmanian Branches of the Australian Nursing Federation and the Australian Medical Association today both condemned the proposed lack of Tasmanian repreentation on the soon to be established National Nursing and Midwifery Board and the National Medical Board of Australia.
3rd July 2009
Tony Steven appointed CEO
The President of the AMA in Tasmania Dr Chris Middleton announced today that Tony Steven had been appointed CEO.
23rd June 2009
Specialists worst paid in Australia
AMA Tasmania released data showing full time hospital specialists in this State are by far the worst paid compared to their mainland peers. AMA Tasmania is engaged with Government due to its C2009 enterprise bargaining campaign. This week, AMA Tasmania is conducting another round of hospital meetings across the State. Members want to discuss the implications of the pay data and Government’s failure to talk seriously with us to find solutions.
10th June 2009
Hospital Waiting Times get Worse
The Tasmanian Branch of the AMA expresses concern about Tasmanian Hospital waiting times, spokesman Dr Michael Aizen outlines statistics from the annual Australian Institute for Health and Welfare Report. Click here to read the release.
6th April 2009
GP Assist
The Tasmanian Branch of the AMA calls on Federal Minister Nicola Roxon and State Minister Lara Giddings to reverse their recent decision and keep the General Practitioner after hours support GP Assist model fully operational, retaining current funding and local operating arrangements.
30 Mar 2009
Dr McGinity
Dr. Paul McGinity has been a member of the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Medical Association for 28 years.
4 Feb 2009
Premier must go in to bat for RHH
Now is not the time for the State government to go cold on the redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital.
10 July 2008
No PETS Allowed
The AMA in Tasmania is concerned by the decision of the Health Minster to halt the imminent installation of the PET scanner into the Hobart Private Hospital, without assurances that patients will not be put at risk or inconvenienced and that they retain the support of the technologists and nuclear medicine physicians that will be needed in the future.
25 June 2008
Nurse Practitioner (NP) Implementation In Tasmania
At the request of the Branch Council of AMA Tasmania a meeting was held on Friday 20th June, with Fiona Stoker (Chief Nurse) and David Roberts (Secretary) from the DHHS to discuss the implementation of Nurse Practitioners into Tasmania.
14 February 2008
Trust
Professor Haydn Walters, President of AMA Tasmania, said “This year AMA Tasmania has made a number of health budget submissions to the Tasmanian Government. Our submissions are with treasury. Urgent health reforms are locked in a fifteen year plan and if the new Royal Hobart Hospital is planned in alignment with those, it will take too long, if it is built at all. Today the AMA calls on the Tasmanian Government to establish an Infrastructure Trust in the next budget to confirm its pledge on the RHH construction.”
Better Health for Men
AMA Tasmania recommends one hundred thousand per year over four years for a new better health for men awareness campaign.
Men die five years earlier than women. Men suffer a greater burden of disease. Men are more likely to be afflicted by early onset health conditions. And most of the health problems encountered by men are modifiable through early intervention.
Fluoridation
AMA Tasmania recommends that the Tasmanian Government provide fluoridated water to every Tasmanian — minimal cost over three years.
AMA Tasmania has supported the Government’s long term approach to improving fluoridation access to 85% OF Tasmanians and now asks for has 100% access to fluoridated water by 2010. With the acceptance of new water authorities it is proposed that the DHHS fund 100% fluoridation.
Infrastructure
AMA Tasmania recommends that the Tasmanian Government address the capital needs of Tasmanian public hospital system by investing half of future surpluses in a new Hospital Infrastructure Fund PLUS $200M from the sale of the Hobart Airport.
19 December 2007
Boil Water Alerts
Professor Haydn Walters, President of AMA Tasmania calls on Southern Councils to give their citizens a Christmas present by promising next week to undertake water supply works to remove boiled water alerts by this time next year.
12 December 2007
It's a Tax, Stupid
Professor Haydn Walters, President of AMA Tasmania, said “AMA Tasmania believes that ambulance services are an essential service whose development and improvement is vital for the State’s healthy future. They must be accessible to all members of the community regardless of an individual user’s ability to pay.”
2 November 2007
Public Hospital Scorecard
The AMA national scorecard of public hospital performance released last week emphasised the under-funding of our hospitals by the Howard government and the excessive cut back on beds over recent years. The public hospital system has been put under intense pressure.
10 October 2007
AMA Comment on PM's Announcements
AMA Tasmania welcomes additional Federal funding for Tasmania’s cash strapped public hospital system but condemns the Tasmanian State Health Department for creating the environment where the Federal Government, in response to rural and regional community insecurity, has felt the need to further intervene in the Tasmanian Health System.
04 October 2007
Mill Decision
The Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Medical Association is making a final comment on the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill.
30 August 2007
Mill Unacceptable
The Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Medical Association is unable to support the construction of the proposed Tamar Valley Pulp Mill which is being debated in State Parliament this week.
16 August 2007
The Mersey Hospital - Back to the Future
It is also an imperative that Minister Giddings, backed by the Tasmanian Government, moves forward with urgency to develop plans for all the other outcomes from the Health Services Plan, even if it is forced to put change in the North West “on hold”. Far, far too much is now at stake.
23 July 2007
Black armbands at the Mersey
AMA Tasmania has just surveyed members in the NW of Tasmania to gauge their opinions on the impact of imposed changes to the hospitals in the NW (Burnie and Mersey). The NW survey highlights acute problems related to the lack of leadership with no onsite CEO, lack of consultation and communication plus the loss of clinical leadership within the Mersey. Doctors reported that the changes were announced and implemented precipitately, without consultation, and morale has fallen to the point where many are considering leaving.
11 July 2007
Water unfit to drink
Professor Haydn Walters, President of AMA Tasmania said "Drinking water on boil alert and lack of sewerage services is a growing public health issue. In Swansea residents are on water boil alert and are being asked by their ratepayers association to sign a petition protesting against the quality of the town's water."
AMA Tasmania is very concerned that 23 Tasmanian water supply systems are on water boil alert and also that 15,000 properties are not on sewerage. Water quality, reliable supply and sewerage vary throughout Tasmania and are public health issues to be resolved.
July 2007
Health issues unresolved - still not supported
AMA Tasmania advised in a position statement on 25th September 2006 that it would not support the proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill due to concerns over adverse health impacts.
Professor Walters, President of AMA Tasmania said, "AMA Tasmania is the only independent organization that addresses key public health issues to constantly try and improve the health of the Tasmanian community. The AMA will constantly strive to be an honest broker and give the Tasmanian community unbiased objective information and opinion on such issues.
28 April 2007
AMA Tasmania elects new president
AMA Tasmania has elected Professor Haydn Walters as the President of AMA Tasmania for 2007/8.
Professor Walters was until today the Chairman of the Southern Division of AMA Tasmania. In that position he has made public comment on problems besetting the Royal Hobart Hospital, called for a new hospital and the need for statewide planning for medical services.
March 2007
Health issues untouched - pulp mill still not supported
AMA Tasmania advised in a position statement on 25th September 2006 that it would not support the proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill due to serious health omissions and gaps in the integrated impact statement. AMA Tasmania has supported the independent RPDC assessment process to publicly attend to and resolve our identified omissions and gaps. The health related gaps identified by AMA Tasmania in September have not been answered. Any expedient compromise on health standards is completely unacceptable.
6 February 2007
Clinical Services Plan Issue Paper
AMA Tasmania welcomes today's release of the Clinical Services Plan Issue Paper. "Dr Heather Wellington is to be publically applauded for raising a practical collection of issues that may well lead to substantial reform of the clinical services in Tasmania." Dr Aizen said.
19 January 2007
Health Blow out
The report in today's Mercury newspaper validates AMA Tasmania's call for the State Government's Department of Health and Human Services to undergo a complete shake up and develop a Statewide Plan for Health Services in Tasmania as a matter of urgency.