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2011
For AMA Victoria comment and information: Media Contact
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Doctors welcome rural health plan
16/12/201116 December 2011 Doctors have welcomed today’s release of the Rural and Regional Health Plan by the Baillieu Government but warned that more needs to be done to attract and retain doctors in rural areas. “The Plan acknowledges the important role...
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Take sun protection seriously this summer
07/12/20116 December 2011 It’s time that Victorians started taking sun care seriously, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “By now, Victorians cannot fail to be aware of the risks posed by excessive sun exposure – including the onset...
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Doctors report on Baillieu Government's first year
17/11/201118 November 2011 Despite failing to implement a number of key election commitments to improve the public hospital system the Baillieu Government has performed well across the health portfolio in its first year, said AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley today....
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Health worker hand hygiene
10/11/201110 November 2011 The National Hand Hygiene Initiative was associated with significant improvements in hand hygiene compliance among Australian health care workers over the last two years. Doctors and other health professionals must continue to be vigilant...
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Help is at hand for hay fever this spring
02/11/201130 October 2011 Doctors today urged Victorians to be proactive about preventing and treating hay fever this spring. “You don’t need to suffer sneezing, itchy eyes and a runny nose in silence. There are a range of steps you can take to avoid the...
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Annual report reveals struggling health system
28/10/201128 October 2011 The Department of Health’s annual report released yesterday has revealed that Victoria’s health system is struggling to keep up with growing demand. “A number of the Government’s own targets for treating patients within...
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Doctors welcome new Royal Children’s Hospital
26/10/201126 October 2011 The redeveloped Royal Children’s Hospital will provide world class medical treatment to Victoria’s children and young people in uniquely welcoming surrounds, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. Dr Hemley made his...
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Bed closures unacceptable, says AMA Victoria
07/10/20117 October 2011 Reported bed closures at Victorian hospitals are unacceptable and will compromise patient care, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “It is very concerning that Victorian hospitals are closing beds at a time when demand is...
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Doctors call for urgent action on alcohol abuse
29/09/201129 September 2011 In response to increasingly high levels of alcohol use doctors are calling for a reduction in the availability of alcohol, increased awareness of alcohol’s harms and improved access to detoxification services. “Medical practitioners...
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Councils caught out not enforcing tobacco laws
26/09/201124 September 2011 Reports recently released to AMA Victoria under Freedom of Information have revealed that thousands of Victorian businesses breach tobacco regulations each year and that local councils are failing to prosecute these breaches. “Local...
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Speech by Dr Lorraine Baker at Diabetes Australia's Language Position Statement Launch
21/09/201121 September 2011 In speaking on behalf of AMA Victoria at the launch of Diabetes Australia’s new language position statement I would like to acknowledge that this statement highlights issues that can cause guilt and a sense of failure in individuals...
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Letter to the editor regarding Medicare Locals
13/09/201113 September 2011 As was reported in The Weekend Australian the purpose and operation of Medicare Locals are still a mystery (“Locals struggle to be useful”, The Weekend Australian, 10 September 2011). Despite the first 19 Medicare Locals nominally launching...
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Letter to the editor regarding childhood obesity
13/09/201113 September 2011 As was reported in yesterday's 6 Minutes the costs of childhood obesity are already being born by Australian primary school students (“Screen overweight children in primary school”, 6 Minutes, 12 September 2011). As reported, a recent...
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Doctors welcome female only psychiatric unit
09/09/201109 September 2011 AMA Victoria welcomes the opening of a new female only psychiatric unit at The Alfred, said AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley. “AMA Victoria campaigned for gender segregated psychiatric facilities during the lead up to last year’s...
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Doctors call on Baillieu Government to support traffic light labelling
05/09/20115 September 2011 A traffic light labelling scheme would assist doctors in fighting the obesity epidemic, AMA Victoria Board Member Dr Lorraine Baker said today. “Current food labelling offers consumers no useful guidance about which foods are nutritionally...
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AMA Victoria welcomes bong ban
02/09/20112 September 2011 “The Baillieu Government’s ban on bongs will help to reduce rates of cannabis use in Victoria,” said AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley. “The sole purpose of bongs is to smoke cannabis – a substance that is illegal...
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Condoms welcome but prison needle exchange required
31/08/201131 August 2011 The Victorian Government must provide prisoners with access to a needle exchange program, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “Victorian prisoners need to be able to access a needle exchange program to reduce the transmission...
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Baillieu Government’s obesity plan needs teeth
29/08/201128 August 2011 The Baillieu Government’s new childhood obesity strategy is a welcome first step but lacks the enforcement mechanisms necessary to reduce rapidly increasing rates of obesity, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “A...
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Western suburbs doctors concerned about prescription drug abuse
26/08/201126 August 2011 Doctors in Melbourne’s Western Suburbs have expressed their concern over increasing rates of prescription drug abuse, said AMA Victoria Board Member Dr Gary Speck. “An increasing number of people are abusing prescription drugs in...
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Baillieu Government opposes vital public health initiative
08/08/20116 August 2011 The Baillieu Government’s failure to support mandatory pre-commitment for poker machines is a threat to the health of Victorians, said AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley. “Problem gambling is a serious public health issue in Victoria....
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Health reform hits regional Victoria hardest
15/07/20115 July 2011 Regional Victoria is disproportionately harmed by the Commonwealth Government’s health reform agenda, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “Rural and regional Victorian communities and the doctors who serve them face significant...
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Hospitals fail to meet key targets
11/07/201130 June 2011 Today’s hospital performance figures show that Victoria’s hospitals are struggling to meet important performance targets, said AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley. “Victorian hospitals failed to meet a number of key targets...
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Doctors welcome Council smoking ban
24/06/201124 June 2011 AMA Victoria has welcomed Baw Baw Shire Council’s ban on smoking in communal outdoor spaces. “Baw Baw Shire Council should be commended for making the health of its local residents a priority. We encourage other councils to introduce...
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Critical mistake data released
23/06/201123 June 2011 It is encouraging that there were fewer critical errors in Victorian public hospitals than in previous years, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “It was welcome to see that the amount of errors reported for 2009-10 is at...
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Doctors concerned over Victorian Medicare Locals announcement
17/06/201117 June 2011 Doctors today expressed concern for Victorian patients following the announcement of Victoria’s first four Medicare Locals. “Despite doctors calling for the deferral of Medicare Locals until further consultation has taken place the...
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Doctors call for blood donations
14/06/201113 June 2011 Doctors have called on Victorians to save up to three lives by registering to donate blood during World Blood Donor Day on 14 June. “One donation can save up to three lives yet only one in 30 people currently donate blood. Many more Victorians...
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Men need healthier attitude to health
14/06/201112 June 2011 AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley today called on men to be proactive about their health and wellbeing. “Men are more likely to experience health problems than women. It is important that men are aware of their physical and mental health...
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Medicare Locals: costly, complex and coming soon
10/06/201110 June 2011 Three weeks from today Victoria’s first four Medicare Locals will commence operation and will begin to erode GP centered primary care, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “Despite launching in three weeks time, doctors,...
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Letter to the editor regarding Medicare Locals
10/06/2011Letter to the editor of Company Director, a publication of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Published 1 June 2011 I read with interest Richard Hemming’s article on Medicare Locals (Company Director, May 2011) and was concerned to find that...
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COAG reforms may compromise patient care
06/06/20116 June 2011 The health system should be coordinated as close to the patient as possible, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. Dr Hemley made his comments prior to tomorrow’s meeting between Minister Roxon and the State Health Ministers...
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Victoria’s hospitals under pressure
01/06/20111 June 2011 The latest hospital performance figures show that Victoria’s hospitals are under pressure and are in need of ongoing investment, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. Dr Hemley made his comments following the release of the Quarterly...
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Transport zoning costing patients thousands
24/05/201122 May 2011 Anyone who commutes to Box Hill Hospital or the Monash Medical Centre are paying too much to take the train, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. AMA Victoria has increased pressure on the Department of Transport to change public...
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Hundreds of steps in the right direction, says AMA Victoria
19/05/201119 May 2011 AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley today encouraged parents to make tomorrow’s Walk Safely to School Day a regular habit. “Child obesity is a critical issue for many countries,” Dr Hemley said. “It is a disease that can become...
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Stawell Prize awarded by AMA Victoria
19/05/201119 May 2011 AMA Victoria has awarded the annual Stawell Prize for medical research to a team working at the Western Health Department of Medicine. Professor Peter Ebeling accepted the award on the team’s behalf at AMA Victoria’s AGM on Tuesday...
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Budget delivers on most health promises
03/05/2011This is a good budget that has honoured many of the Government’s election commitments but key areas of the health system require further investment, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “The Government has listened to doctors and...
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Budget must honour promises, says Dr Hemley
01/05/2011The health of every Victorian hinges on the Baillieu Government honouring its election commitments when the Treasurer delivers the State Budget on Tuesday afternoon, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “This is their first Budget and the...
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Planning regulations cost patients care
25/04/2011Victorians are missing out on medical care due to onerous planning requirements, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “Currently, access to general practice is being obstructed by state planning regulations that require five car parks per...
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Eastern suburbs doctors call for IT investment
23/04/2011The Government must act to improve information technology in Victoria’s health system, said AMA Victoria Board Member Dr Tony Bartone. “Doctors are concerned about Victoria’s failing health IT systems. There is a lack of resources for IT...
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Take care this Easter
21/04/2011AMA Victoria Vice President and emergency physician Dr Stephen Parnis has urged Victorians to be mindful of their health and safety over the Easter weekend. “Motorists must take care on the roads over Easter. Take regular breaks, slow down and make sure...
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Simple steps to fight flu
18/04/201118 April 2011 Doctors are urging Victorians to take simple steps to protect themselves and others against the flu this winter. AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today that if Victorians get vaccinated, wash their hands and stay home when sick, they...
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Tomorrow’s doctors learn valuable lesson
15/04/201115 April 2011 Medical students need to take care of each other, not just their patients, AMA Victoria Doctors in Training Subdivision President Dr James Hillis said today. Dr Hillis made his comments as over 70 medical students prepare to take part in tomorrow’s...
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Shortage of doctors in Ballarat sends alarm bells ringing
13/04/201113 April 2011 A looming shortage of doctors in Ballarat has prompted AMA Victoria to call on the Victorian Government and local hospitals to avert a potentially critical problem. AMA Victoria Board Member Dr Lorraine Baker said today insufficient numbers of...
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Doctors issue health warning (Ballarat Courier, opinion editorial)
13/04/2011With the ink on the Commonwealth Government’s $½ billion Medicare Locals cheque barely dry, regional and rural Victoria should brace for change to the GP-patient relationship. Last Tuesday the government accepted tender applications for the first...
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Make patients the priority, says Dr Hemley
12/04/2011Cutting funding to medical research will hurt researchers, patients and ordinary Australians, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. “The government should make patients the priority. Cutting funding for medical research will lead to the...
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AMA Victoria welcomes Dr Mukesh Haikerwal’s appointment as Chair of WMA
07/04/2011AMA Victoria today congratulated its former President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal (AO), who was elected Chair of the World Medical Association (WMA) Council at the 188th WMA Council Session in Sydney today. “Dr Haikerwal’s appointment reflects the respect...
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A welcome wellness cheque, says Dr Harry Hemley
07/04/2011Generations of Victorians would thank the Victorian Government in years to come for giving the green light for completion of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. Commenting on the $45 million...
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Doctors call for red tape relief
28/03/2011“Patients are suffering because of the burden red tape places upon general practitioners,” AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. AMA Victoria has written to Louise Asher, the Minister for Small Business, calling for a reduction in the red...
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Premier must act to protect patients
27/03/201127 March 2011 AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley today appealed to the Baillieu Government to oppose Medicare Locals to safeguard primary health care for patients. “This is a significant and troubling change to primary healthcare in this country,”...
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Concerns over Mornington Peninsula health services
25/03/2011“Doctors are concerned about the state of health care services in the Mornington Peninsula region,” AMA Victoria Board member Dr John Leslie said today. “The Baillieu Government must act to reduce the red tape, bureaucracy and resource shortages...
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Wimmera doctors discuss health plan
11/03/201111 March 2011. This week, AMA Victoria met with doctors from the Wimmera region to hear their concerns about local issues and discuss the Baillieu Government’s Health Services Plan 2022. “Doctors in rural and regional Victoria face unique challenges...
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Western suburbs doctors discuss health plan
04/03/20114 March 2011. Last night, AMA Victoria met with doctors from Melbourne’s western suburbs to hear their concerns about local issues and discuss the Baillieu Government’s Health Services Plan 2022. “Doctors at the coalface of the Victorian...
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Doctors call for extension of smoking ban
01/03/2011The Baillieu government should follow Monash City Council’s lead in protecting the health of Victorians and ban smoking in communal spaces, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. Last week Monash City Council voted to ban smoking in many...
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Are there better alternatives to Medicare Locals? (Croakey op ed)
21/02/2011AMA Victoria president Dr Harry Hemley writes: Prime Minister Gillard’s revised health proposal is an improvement on Kevin Rudd’s complicated hospital financing plan, with promises to deliver increased funds, more beds, transparency, greater clinical...
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AMA Victoria's reaction to the new health deal
15/02/2011The Age, 15 February 2011. Dr Harry Hemley, president of the Australian Medical Association Victoria: "I’m pleased the deal promises to deliver increased funds, more beds, transparency, greater clinical input and less red tape. Victoria already...
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School canteens need shake-up
09/02/201109 February 2011. Victorian primary schools breaching the state’s healthy canteen guidelines by selling junk food to students and failing to provide access to healthy food and drink choices should be named to encourage compliance, AMA Victoria President...
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More obesity surgery could save lives
02/02/2011The Victorian Government should increase access to taxpayer-funded gastric banding surgery for morbidly obese Victorians to improve their health outcomes and potentially save their lives, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today. AMA Victoria has...
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System is sick, not dead (The Age, opinion editorial)
25/01/201125 January 2010. FOR those unfamiliar with computer systems in Victoria's public hospitals, you would probably have to cast your mind back to the early 1990s to realise just how poor the information technology networks are in our supposedly world-class health...
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Specialised hospital equipment needed for morbidly obese patients
17/01/201117 January 2011. AMA Victoria today called on the Baillieu Government to increase funding for hospitals to purchase specialist equipment to treat, diagnose and transport the rising number of morbidly obese Victorians presenting to the state’s public...
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More training places needed for today's new doctors
10/01/2011AMA Victoria Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis today welcomed the state’s 623 new doctors to the public hospital system but warned the shortage of specialist doctors would persist until the Baillieu Government increased the number of specialist training...
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Beware of snakes this summer
03/01/201103 January 2011. AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley has warned Victorians to be vigilant of snakes this summer when hiking, gardening or cleaning up debris. "There are more snakes around this year because of the wet weather," he said. "Encounters...
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