Category: News

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The state-of-the-art hospital will offer local women and their families world-class maternity and pediatric services. It will also contain the regions first neonatal intensive care unit to care for the most critically ill babies.

The hospital will hold:

• 20 maternity delivery rooms
• 237 beds
• 39 special care nursery cots
• four theatres and additional clinics
• 150 extra full-time nurses and midwives

Victorian Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos stated, “more families in Melbourne’s west will be able to access the best pediatric and maternity services close to home thanks to the Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital.”

Joan Kirner was premier from 1990 – 94 and the state’s first and only female elected to the top job. Kirner was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women at the time of her death in 2001.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Metastatic cancer marks the diagnosis stage at which the disease has spreads beyond a primary tumor site to other parts of the body, such as breast cancer that has spread to the bones, liver or lungs. This stage of the diseases is considered to be incurable.

Stakeholders will work with cancer groups and patients to develop the new metastatic cancer nurse program, building on the success of existing cancer nurse programs – but expanding support beyond particular tumour streams.

Hospitals located in regional areas will be of particular focus for the program in an attempt to bridge the gap between major cities and rural communities for cancer care and outcomes.

The funding will be derived from Labor’s 2.3bilion Medicare Cancer Plan that includes cheaper scans, cheaper specialist consultations, cheaper medicines – and better support for people with metastatic cancer. The Medicare Cancer Plan will cover an additional 2,000 appointments a day – three million specialist consultations with no out-of-pocket costs.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Cystic Fibrosis unit will be co-located within the hospital’s respiratory unit and contain:

• A 16-bed inpatient unit with single rooms, including four isolation rooms
• Specialist research zone
• New consultation rooms
• New work spaces for clinical staff
• An upgraded outpatient service including day stay rooms for procedures and outpatient physiotherapy and respiratory testing.

This funding announcement has come off the back of two medication listings for Cystic Fibrosis on the PBS over the last two years. Orkambi® in 2018 costing $250,000 annually and Kalydeco® in 2017, costing $300,000 over the same period. Now costing $40.50 or $6.50 a script.

Cystic Fibrosis in considered the most common chronic illness affecting young Australian’s today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The procedure has only been performed 100 times internationally and took lead surgeon Dr Matthew Brooks and his team two hours to complete.

The patient who had previously undergone heart surgery, had developed complications after a valve failed and resulted in leaking. In this case the coronary artery was too closely located to the leaking valve to attempt the traditional style of surgery.

Director of Cardiology, Associate Professor, Leeanne Grigg, “this procedure gives another option for patients, it’s really incredible and it’s great because it is the first in Australia and it’s very new worldwide, with only 100 known cases done, this is really early on and has big potential,” A/Prof Leeanne Grigg said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The right to Trial initiative was established after research from the Leukaemia Foundation found that one in five blood cancer patients tried to access a clinical trial but there either weren’t any trials available or they weren’t eligible. With less than 30 per cent having access to genetic and genomic testing to inform their diagnosis and treatment.

The initiative will allow 1,800 blood cancer patients access to emerging treatments specific to the genetic markers relevant to their individual disease. Under current clinical trial schemes, these same patients would be waiting potentially five to ten years longer for access to trials.

Current figures by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019 Cancer in Australia Report, predicted over 17,000 new cases of blood cancer will be diagnosed this year. With more than 6,700 dying from a blood cancer disease in the same period. Partly due to the ongoing issue that whilst game-changing treatments are being developed, there are often too slow for patients to fully utilise their potential.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Roll out of the defibrillators will be organised by the Caravan Industry of Australia who will also be contributing half the cost of each device.

There had been previous petitioning to the NSW Government to have mandatory laws requiring all parks in NSW to install the life saving devices. After an incident on New Year’s Day this year resulted in a man dying, after suffering a cardiac arrest in a NSW caravan park and no access to a defibrillator was available.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt stated, “research shows that if a person is defibrillated within the first five minutes of collapse, their chance of survival is around 90 per cent and for every minute that this is delayed, the chances of survival decrease by up to 10 per cent.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Federal Government has invested an additional $12 million across the next three years in expanding and extending the reach of our current Get the Facts about immunisation campaign. In an attempt to maintain last year’s record 11 million Australian’s that received a flu vaccine.

The National Immunisation Program is linked the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and by law requires independent medical experts to list vaccines on the list. The Government lists all medicines and vaccines recommended by the independent expert committee.

To address the over representation of elderly Australians that contribute 75% of the influenza deaths last year occurring in those over 65 years, an enhanced vaccine has been created.

This vaccine will be specifically targeted at this age group, offering better protection than other available vaccines. With clinical experts advising that optimal protection against influenza occurs within the first three to four months following vaccination. By getting vaccinated from mid-April allows protection during the peak influenza transmission period, from around June to September in most parts of Australia.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has pledged to drastically reduce hospital waiting times for essential surgeries needed by Australian patients. Declaring procedures such as knee and hip replacements or cataract surgeries should not be deemed elective but considered essential surgeries.

Data collected by the Australian Government’s biennial report, Australia’s health 2018, showed the medium wait times for cataract surgery at 85 days and medium wait times for knee replacements at 193 days.

Labor has stated that the average wait time for elective surgery has increased by more than 10 per cent since the Government was elected in 2013.

The report has also emphasised the wait times for Indigenous-Australians’ cataract surgery at 130 days and knee replacement at 251 days. Overall Indigenous-Australia’s have longer median waiting times than other Australians for elective surgery with 45 days compared to 38 days.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The $50 million will be split into:

• $20 million for research to help Australian women in their fight against ovarian cancer with a focus on early detection.
• $10 million for endometriosis
• $5 million to Jean Hailes for Women’s Health for the continuation of its National Women’s Health Initiative
• $9 million investment for drug and alcohol rehabilitation program
• $1.3 million for an intensive support service to support families following stillbirth
• $4 million for reproductive and family planning organisations
• $1.5 million over three years for local women’s health promotion grants

Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, has outlined that Australian women on the whole enjoy long, healthy lives, with a current average life expectancy of 85 for those born in recent years. However, stating relatively long-life expectancy disguises a large element of avoidable ill-health and inequitable outcomes between different groups.

Minister Hunt had also previously announced the investment of $32 million so breast cancer patients, who are largely women, can have MRI and PET scans covered under Medicare.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The document is a summary of the major health issues that the AMA considers must be addressed by the major parties during the election campaign and into the next term of government, whichever party wins.

The AMA President, Dr Tony Bartone, stated when he released the document that health policy will be a vital factor in the outcome of the 2019 Federal Election. Dr Bartone was quoted, “health policy influence votes at every election, and doctors are very good judges of health policy.”

The report outlines the key issues in health to be:

• General Practice and primary care;
• Public hospitals;
• A futureproofed Medicare;
• Medical care for older Australians;
• Private health;
• Diagnostic imaging;
• Pathology;
• Task substitution;
• Mental health;
• Asylum seeker and refugee health;
• Climate change and health;
• Indigenous health;
• Prevention;
• Obesity;
• Alcohol;
• Tobacco;
• Addiction;
• Immunisation;
• Rural health;
• Medical workforce; and
• Supporting GP training

With special emphasis on ensuring the next government to renew its commitment to prevention. Stating in their report that as a nation, more needs to be done to educate people to adjust their lifestyles to improve their health. Requiring a nationally-coordinated education and information programs, and cooperation and coordination across all levels of government.

The AMA is the most influential membership organisation representing registered medical practitioners and medical students of Australia. The body will urge the major parties to adopt the policies and recommendations outlined in the document.

The full report can be found on the Official AMA Website (www.ama.com.au)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]