In the lead up to the Australian Federal Budget in May 2023, Australian Health Journal reached out to peak health industry bodies to hear about their priorities, either noted in pre-budget submissions lodged with Federal Government in January 2023 or in recent forums such as the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce.
Others have stated their priorities directly with Federal Government. Through these interviews, AHJ gives a final opportunity to communicate to all health stakeholders, the funding needs for a range of priorities. These range from new models of care to pilots and wholesale, system improvements to building more sustainable workforces to help grow certain sectors of the health system
The President of the Australasian Association of Nuclear Medicine Specialists (AANMS), Associate Professor Sze Ting Lee spoke with Australian Health Journal about the following:
- Usual levels of nuclear medicine services in Australia each year
- Current levels of nuclear medicine services in Australia
- How changing demographics in people moving to regional areas has impacted access to nuclear medicine services
- The nuclear medicine workforce including trainees
- Key recommendation from the pre-budget submission
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Cardiovascular Disease Risk Guidance and Calculator get long overdue update
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for significant morbidity and premature mortality in Australia. Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in 2020 and cerebrovascular disease was the third most common cause of death.
As the first major update to Australian CVD risk assessment guidelines in over a decade, the 2023 Australian Guideline for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease risk and associated Aus CVD Risk Calculator reflect the latest evidence on assessing, communicating, and managing CVD risk. Developed using Australian-specific data and the latest evidence, it supersedes the 2012 Guidelines for the management of absolute cardiovascular disease risk.
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Closing the diagnostic gap in ovarian cancer detection
After 15 years in academia, Associate Professor Michelle Hill founded ProSeek bio to address one of the most urgent challenges in women’s health: closing the diagnostic gap in ovarian cancer.
For too long, women suspected of ovarian cancer have faced an impossible choice — undergo invasive surgery for diagnosis, only for up to 80% of those procedures to reveal no cancer, or delay intervention and risk diagnosis at a later stage when treatment options are fewer and survival outcomes are significantly worse.
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Health equity
For 30 years the Humpty Dumpty Foundation has worked to help bridge the gap that often exists between available resources and actual needs through the donation of paediatric medical equipment. Humpty, like many other charitable initiatives, began with a humble goal. Its Founder and Executive Chairman, Paul Francis OAM, together with Patron Ray Martin AM, set out to raise some money to paint the walls of the Children’s Ward at Royal North Shore Hospital.
To date more than 440 hospitals and health services have shared in over $85 million of essential and lifesaving medical equipment for sick and injured paediatric patients.
