Communications and advocacy update: 26 October
26 October 2023
Here’s an update on a few of the issues AMA Victoria is working on for members, including:
- VCAT- Medical Report Template - Guardianship List form - request for feedback
- Pre-employment clinical placements consultation
- Victorian cancer plan 2024-2028 feedback - Online survey now open.
VCAT- Medical Report Template - Guardianship List form - request for feedback
We have previously informed members about concerns raised by AMA Victoria regarding what we perceive as a common practice at VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal). This practice involves requesting medical practitioners to complete a form titled "Medical Report Template - Guardianship List" while remaining silent on the payment of fees.
We noted that this practice is unfair, inappropriate, and, in the absence of explicit legal protection on the form, potentially exposes doctors to unnecessary legal risk.
To address these concerns, we have been working with VCAT to develop a Guidance Note for Medical Practitioners, which would be provided with the template form.
This note covers:
- the purpose of the form
- the legal protection afforded to practitioners for completing the form
- required format, and
- payment for completing the form.
Having produced a draft of this note, we would keenly welcome the feedback of members. If you would like to review and provide feedback on the draft note, please send an email to Senior Policy Adviser, Lewis Horton, at LewisH@amavic.com.au.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Member input is invaluable as we work to improve this process for all medical practitioners involved.
Pre-employment clinical placements consultation
Last week, AMA Victoria met with the Nous Group, engaged by the Victorian Department of Health to review the current state of pre-employment clinical placements, and identify opportunities for improvement - focusing on the funding, quantity, quality, organisation, and distribution of clinical placements across the health professions, including medicine.
The Department intends to identify was to improve funding, quantity, quality, organisation, and distribution of placements, ensuring they align with the needs of the Victorian community and contribute to a skilled and sustainable health workforce.
During our meeting, the Nous Group shared some key findings from their consultations, which align with our own observations:
- the quality of clinical placements is inconsistent across disciplines, universities, location, and hospitals, which means that some students will have satisfying experience while others will not.
- A student’s experience is highly dependent on their clinical educator Educators should have the capacity to dedicate time, space, and resources to their students.
- There could be more flexibility around clinical placements. With more mature aged students and less students living at home, taking long periods of time off work is not always feasible, especially with little notice.
- Funding for clinical placements is complicated as there are a multiple funding sources. As a result, public health services were not sure if funding covered the cost of a clinical placement.
These findings reaffirm the need for certainty, consistency, funding transparency, and flexibility in pre-employment clinical placements, which we emphasised to the Nous Group during our consultation.
During the consultation, we were posed the following questions:
- What do you think the number one objective for this project should be?
- What makes a high-quality clinical placement?
- Is the distribution of funding for clinical placements across location, healthcare provider type and
- disciplines appropriate now and into the future?
- Does the quantity of clinical placements meet demand for students and health services now and into the future?
- What would you change about clinical placements?
- What is happening in other jurisdictions or settings that we should be aware of?
If members have views on these questions that they would like communicated to government and considered in the consultation process, please share your thoughts by sending an email to Senior Policy Adviser, Lewis Horton, at LewisH@amavic.com.au
Victorian cancer plan 2024-2028 feedback - Online survey now open
Online submissions can now be made to inform the development of the Victorian cancer plan 2024-2028.
Members are invited to complete a survey on Engage Victoria to identify and prioritise opportunities to improve cancer outcomes for Victorians in the next plan.
Click here to start the survey: Engage Victoria - Victorian cancer plan 2024-2028
Consultation workshops are also happening throughout Victoria in October. Limited places are still available to attend regional workshops. For more information, go to the Victorian cancer plan webpage.
Through the Improving Cancer Outcomes Act 2014, the Victorian Government is committed to preparing a cancer plan for Victoria every four years that outlines the status and burden of cancer in Victoria. The next cancer plan will be released by 1 October 2024.
For more information about the Victorian cancer plan, visit the Victorian cancer plan webpage.
