Here’s an update on a few of the issues AMA Victoria is working on for members, including:
Women’s pain inquiry report released
TAC updates- Public hospital funding model change FAQs & Provider Experience Survey
Review of Victoria’s energy life support customer framework- AMA Victoria feedback.
Women’s pain inquiry report released
AMA Victoria welcomes the release of the Inquiry into Women's Pain report.
On Monday evening, AMA Victoria President Dr Simon Judkins and Immediate Past President Dr Jill Tomlinson attended a Department of Health event at 50 Lonsdale Street that brought together many of Victoria’s women’s health leaders to mark the release of the report. They spoke with the Minister for Health, ministerial staff, senior departmental figures, the CEO of Women’s Health Victoria, and representatives from Women with Disabilities Victoria about the report and the broader issues it raises.
As Dr Tomlinson told the ABC earlier this year: “For too long Victorian women and girls haven’t had their pain treated adequately, and certainly many women report that their experience of seeking care has been inadequate. We need to address that.”
Dr Tomlinson noted that this failure extends beyond so-called “bikini health”, with consequences across all areas of medicine. “There are implications for women’s healthcare in cardiovascular health, in renal health,” she said.
Dr Tomlinson said changes had to be made in medical education, and research, as well as in the consultation room.
You can hear more in this video message from Dr Tomlinson, recorded during her presidency, on AMA Victoria’s advocacy to eliminate gender bias in healthcare.
AMA Victoria will now review the report’s findings and recommendations in detail and continue to advocate for reforms that improve how women’s pain is recognised and treated across the health system.
TAC updates
Two updates from the Transport Accident Commission for members working with TAC clients.
Public hospital funding model change- FAQs and meeting invite
AMA Victoria has previously informed members of upcoming changes to the way TAC and WorkSafe will pay for delivery of public health services.
The TAC has now published a set of Frequently Asked Questions on the Public Hospital Funding Model changes, available here.
To support further member engagement, the TAC will attend AMA Victoria’s regular WorkSafe/TAC Committee meeting on Wednesday 3 December, commencing 7.00am via Teams, to discuss these changes and answer member questions.
This meeting will be open to all interested AMA Victoria members. To ensure an orderly discussion, we will accept written questions only, submitted in advance by attendees.
If you would like to attend and submit a question, please email [email protected].
Provider experience survey
The TAC’s annual Provider Experience Survey is now open.
If you have provided treatment or services to a TAC client, or supported families affected by road trauma, the TAC would like to hear from you.
Improving provider experience is a key goal of TAC’s Make Every Day Matter strategy. Last year, feedback highlighted the need for faster query resolution and decision time frames. The TAC has been working to improve these areas and now seeks further feedback.
The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete, is confidential, and closes 30 November.
Members can access the survey here.
Review of Victoria’s energy life support customer framework- AMA Victoria feedback
AMA Victoria has provided feedback to the Essential Services Commission’s review of Victoria’s energy life support customer framework.
Our submission reflected the views of members who regularly complete life support confirmations. Doctors described the practical difficulties of assessing equipment dependence within standard consultations, the duplication caused by multiple non-standard forms, and the medico-legal uncertainty that arises when patient needs change over time. They also noted delays and communication barriers between practitioners, patients and retailers that make it difficult to keep information current.
Members also considered the proposed distinction between “critical” and “assistive” equipment. While most said this was workable with clear definitions, they cautioned that a strict binary approach risks missing important clinical context. A more flexible, graded model- linking equipment criticality to the time a patient can safely go without power- was preferred.
Our feedback supported a brief, structured approach to back-up planning discussions within routine care and reiterated the need for a single, concise, state-wide confirmation form with proportionate reconfirmation periods and clear data-sharing pathways.
AMA Victoria thanks members who contributed to this work, which will help shape the Commission’s final recommendations.