People In Health Care
Professor Hugh Grantham, Chair of Emergency Medicine Foundation
Filmed Adelaide, South Australia | September 2024
“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.
Professor Grantham says, “One of the biggest concerns for emergency medicine is how to enhance patient flow from arrival at an emergency department to treatment, potential admission, and finally discharge from hospital.”
“There are also out-of-hospital factors including access to GPs and the need for more community care of vulnerable patient groups such as aged care and mental health patients.”
Born and educated in England, Professor Hugh Grantham has interests in prehospital and emergency medicine, medical education and clinical governance.
After relocating, Hugh commenced general practice in Mildura and was recruited to lead the Ambulance Service’s clinical development in Adelaide. He was Medical Director of the Ambulance Service until 2011, and inaugural professor of paramedics at Flinders University until 2019. Involved in postgraduate medical emergency education since 1990, Hugh developed the paramedic course, and the postgraduate paramedic courses.
He is the senior educator for the National Advanced Life Support program as well as teaching for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the College of Sports Physicians. Hugh holds the humanitarian services medal for leading overseas aid teams in disasters, and the Ambulance Service Medal. He was a member of the EMF Research Evaluation Panel and is a current member of the Research Committee.
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Improvements in dental literacy and greater clinical insights through digital technology
Dr. Kenneth Soh is a General Dentist based in Kellyville, New South Wales, a suburb located in northwestern Sydney. Originally from Melbourne, he studied Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc) at Melbourne University and graduated in 2003. After working for a year in the Mornington Peninsula, Dr. Soh moved to New South Wales, initially thinking it would be temporary; however, he has been there for 19 years. While he has considered specialising, he finds joy in all aspects of dentistry.
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Role of the Chief Nursing Officer
Professor Alison McMillan PSM spoke with Australian Health Journal about the role of Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer at the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
Alison was appointed as our Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer in November 2019.
In June 2021 Alison was awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to driving the Government’s national health response priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly to infection prevention measures.
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Australia’s Nursing Crisis Snapshot
“Nursing, already under pressure, is reaching breaking point due to the pressures of COVID-19 and a disjointed healthcare system, including the acute, primary and aged care sectors”, says Kylie Ward, Australian College of Nursing CEO adding, “We must act now to protect our nurses and healthcare; the time has come for a national reckoning on nursing in Australia.”
Australian nurses cannot continue to work under the extreme pressure they are currently operating under – the impacts are mounting.
The almost 400,000 Australian nurses are a constant presence in every one of our major life milestones, national emergencies and global crises. The nurse of today holds a science degree, possesses highly technical training, valuable medical opinions, front-row expertise, is an effective trainer, and is skilled in population and systemic thinking. But the pandemic is inflicting a major emotional and physical toll on nurses.
In this “Perspectives” special, Australian Health Journal spoke with 4 nurses on the challenges they or nurses in their circle have experienced, the key issues as well some of the opportunities. These nurses come from national leadership & policy, large scale workforce management, a final year student completing over a year on placement across 6 Melbourne Hospitals and a NSW based ICU nurse stranded in Mexico, unable to return to a critical role in nursing to an already strained team due to incoming quotas.
While the issues are challenging, there are strategies that can be put into place to ease the pressure, to support nurses, and nursing care in Australia. These are discussed by the the 4 nurses.
– Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN CEO, Australian College of Nursing
– Adjunct Professor Alanna Geary FACN ACN Chair of Workforce Sustainability Policy Chapter & Chief Nursing & Midwifery Officer, Metro North Health
– Natalie Reyes, NSW based ICU Nurse Currently stranded in Mexico
– Hayley Pollock, Final Year Bachelor of Nursing Student & ACN Emerging Nurse Leader
