Here’s an update on a few of the issues AMA Victoria is working on for members, including:
AMA Victoria meets with Shadow Minister for Health
Hospital prescribing processes - member feedback sought.
AMA Victoria meets with Shadow Minister for Health
AMA Victoria met with Shadow Minister for Health Georgie Crozier on Monday to discuss a range of issues affecting doctors and patients across Victoria.
As part of its longstanding non-partisan advocacy, AMA Victoria regularly engages with representatives of all major parties and independents to raise members' concerns and advocate for improvements to the health system. In this context, AMA Victoria also met with the Minister for Health last month.
Ambulance ramping and emergency department access block featured prominently in discussions with Ms Crozier, including the view that recent measures have largely shifted delays from ambulances waiting outside hospitals to patients waiting within emergency departments. Workforce shortages and infrastructure constraints were identified as contributors to access block.
The meeting also explored health disparities between metropolitan and regional Victoria, occupational violence and aggression in healthcare settings, preventive health, ongoing delays in finalising the public hospital doctors’ enterprise bargaining agreement, issues relating to medical culture and doctors' ability to raise concerns safely within organisations.
Discussion also covered the Health Services Plan and Local Health Service Networks, including concerns regarding limited clinician involvement and uncertainty regarding the future direction of the reforms.
AMA Victoria highlighted cost pressures facing doctors and medical practices, including payroll tax and other factors affecting practice viability, as well as unnecessary administrative burdens such as duplicated police checks and Working with Children Check requirements for registered medical practitioners.
As Victoria approaches the 2026 State Election—and beyond—AMA Victoria will continue to engage with parliamentarians from across the political spectrum to raise issues affecting doctors and patients across Victoria.
Hospital prescribing processes- member feedback sought
AMA Victoria has received reports that some hospital-based doctors are required to use different prescribing processes depending on where medicines are dispensed, including printed prescriptions for community dispensing and handwritten prescriptions for medicines supplied by the hospital pharmacy, reportedly because their local health service EMR cannot print hospital pharmacy scripts. It is unclear whether this is an isolated issue or something experienced more broadly across certain Victorian hospitals.
Members who have encountered similar prescribing requirements or related system limitations are encouraged to contact Principal Policy Adviser Lewis Horton at LewisH@amavic.com.au.