Leading into Budget week in Canberra this week, was a journey in planning, months in advance by member based groups, to advocate for new policy and funding changes in the Australian Health System.
Some paths are taken because of new crises to be addressed in the workforce, others in considering new models of care to treat patients, or simply to get new medications onto the PBS.
Australian Health Journal met with a number of industry heads after the budget on their journeys so far in lobbying for change, their achievements, some of the disappointments and their thoughts on the road ahead, with an election round the corner.
Skip ahead:
00:35 Tegan Carrison, Executive Director Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi)
03:12 John Bruning, CEO Australasian College of Paramedicine (ACP)
09:09 Paul Sadler, CEO Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA)
12:06 Karen Booth, President Australian Primary Health Care Association (APNA)
19:45 Jo Armstrong, CEO Cystic Fibrosis Australia
23:25 Elizabeth de Somer, CEO Medicines Australia
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Analogy of the system, rather than the ED front door
“The problem of blockages shows up in ambulance ramping and long wait times, but this is a complex issue requiring whole-of-health system solutions,” according to Professor Hugh Grantham, Chair of Emergency Medicine Foundation in an interview with Australian Health Journal.
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HIGHLIGHTS The power of social determinants of health, panel discussion
Clinicians and consumers know only too well that life circumstances such as poor housing, income and food insecurity can have a negative impact on health outcomes. Conversely, participation in community activities, social connection and access to nature parks and leisure facilities can help maintain health and wellbeing.
More recent phenomena in public health have also focused us on the health and social care connection. Stress factors such as the sudden loss of employment and social interaction, moving to remote work or schooling, and the impacts of sudden, localised COVID-19 ‘lockdowns’ to prevent further outbreaks were triggers of increased psychological distress.
And loneliness is being described as our latest epidemic with chronic loneliness inked to a myriad of health problems and earlier death. A recent report found one in four Australians say they feel persistently lonely, and that loneliness costs $2.7 bn a year in health costs alone.
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ARCS Australia
ARCS Australia Ltd is a national, membership-based organisation focused on the development and growth of the healthcare sector. ARCS provides education, career pathways, professional development and advocacy to the healthcare sector.
Our membership is made up of individuals working in regulatory affairs, clinical research, health economics, medical information and other disciplines who work in the development and quality use of therapeutic goods. ARCS members are based in industry, academia, medical research institutes, government, hospitals and patient groups.
Through its members ARCS has a broad and effective reach throughout the healthcare sector, and provides a neutral forum to develop, agree and implement aligned policies and initiatives.ARCS and its members are dedicated to improving the quality of life of healthcare consumers.
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