MyMedicare was announced in the May Federal budget, following recommendations from the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce. This is a model of voluntary patient registration to support quality continuity of care and new blended funding models for practices and providers.
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) confirms its commitment to reconciliation this NAIDOC week. The theme for NAIDOC week this year, For Our Elders, recognises the prominent role Elders have played, and continue to play, in communities across our nation.
ACRRM is committed to fostering safe and respectful training and work environments for our members with cultures of belonging, where diversity is celebrated and people can reach their full potential.
It was a pleasure to join College President Dr Daniel Halliday to meet with members at our Queensland Member Forum run in conjunction with RDAQ on 7 June. ACCRM is committed to providing spaces for members to engage with the college and this was one opportunity to do so. Dr Halliday provided members with a brief update on College activities including College-led training and Rural Generalist specialist recognition.
The College calls on the nation’s policy makers to pay serious attention to a new report showing rural and remote Australians continue to receive far less of the national healthcare spend than their counterparts in cities.
The College has recently provided feedback to public consultations on the Mid-term review of the National Health Reform Agreement Addendum 2020-25 and the Tasmanian Healthcare Plan 2040 and is in the process of finalising a submission on the Kruk Review's Interim Report on regulatory settings for overseas trained doctors. In addition to making formal written submissions, both the CEO and President had the opportunity to meet with consultants overseeing both the Mid-term and Kruk reviews to outline key issues of concern.
With many rural and remote areas reliant on primary agriculture production and vulnerable to drought, bushfires, cyclones, floods and heatwaves, these areas stand to be disproportionately affected by the impacts of changes in climate. This is documented in the College Policy Position on Climate and Health.
This week, several ACRRM Fellows have been recognised for their dedicated service to medicine and society in the King’s Birthday Honours list. We congratulate the following Fellows who have been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, (OAM) for service worthy of particular recognition.
ACRRM wellbeing coordinator Paul Townsley provides a regular blog on self-care and wellness. Read about Paul, and his role supporting registrars, supervisors, Fellows and members.
The ACRRM Respectful Workplaces Committee met on 17 May as part of its cycle of quarterly meetings. The Committee welcomed Mr Harry Purves as the newly-appointed representative from the Future Generalists Committee; and endorsed the appointment of Immediate Past President Dr Sarah Chalmers as the new Chair.
RMA23 delegates can show support to the muwinina and palawa peoples by taking the opportunity to learn more about the Aboriginal history and culture of nipaluna (Hobart) and lutruwita (Tasmania) as a whole, before attending conference. Below are just a couple of informative cultural education resources available to you.
In May, Healthdirect released new enhancements to the Service Finder. This included removing the search function that means users could only see results within 50km of their search. Now, patients can view all relevant services, regardless of distance. See a demonstration of Service Finder watch our joint webinar with Healthdirect and the Australian Digital Health Agency here
National Reconciliation Week is another opportunity for the College to consider the role we play to help achieve reconciliation and be a voice for generations. It is a time to focus on learning about and reflecting on our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to harness our efforts to build strong, resilient and sustainable health resources and services which reflect the needs of rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) acknowledges and supports National Reconciliation Week and continues its commitment to providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with improved healthcare.
Climate and health is a focus of College advocacy and featured in discussions during the recent Board and Council meeting.
The College encourages members to engage in discussions on the topic in Connect@ACRRM, and to provide feedback to the policy team that will help inform information and resources.
The Department of Health and Aged care has provided an update changes to the colorectal surgery Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items following Government agreement as part of the 2023-24 Budget process. The following changes will be implemented by the department’s Clinical Support and Financing Section.
In the 2023-24 Budget, the Australian Government committed $377.3 million over 4 years from 2023–24 (and $98.4 million ongoing) to reforming opioid dependence treatment (ODT) access. An ODT community pharmacy program will be established from 1 July 2023 which will deliver a nationally consistent approach for patients requiring opioid dependence treatment services provided by community pharmacies.
The QIMR Medical Research Institute has been funded by Cancer Australia to undertake a project to develop tools and guidelines for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. In acknowledgement of the need to include the rural and remote perspective, the College has been invited to nominate representatives to the project advisory groups.
The ACRRM Policy team relies on member perspectives to inform policies, position statements, Government submissions and reports which positively influence
the essential services ACRRM members provide to rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Join ACRRM for Emergency Week 2023. Hosting seven of the College's face-to-face courses in one convenient location over a week-long period, Emergency Week is a great way to brush up on your skills and earn CPD hours.