Is there a doctor in the House ? |
Time to take cultural safety seriously |
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Doctor-turned MP on the health woes of Australia ’ s politicians and why they need a GP |
Patient who attempted to murder GP with an axe jailed for 23 years
I cannot imagine what this doctor
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Dr Mike Freelander ’ s idea for an onsite GP within Parliament House is commendable and reveals the caring and problem-solving nature of most doctors .
However , the factors that support his argument for a parliamentary GP clinic can be applied
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went through over the three years she was being stalked by this man .
She was lucky to survive the incident . It could have been so much worse .
Women should feel safe regardless of where they are .
Dr Deborah Verran Surgeon , Sydney , NSW
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to many , many places : country towns , peripheral suburbs with lots of families and , heck , even hospitals , because I have never noticed the doctors and nurses working long hours , shift work and weekends finding it easy to get to the GP themselves .
Just because we are surrounded by medicine , it does not mean we can access it personally .
Public servants and politicians have the same medical issues as everybody else , so how about they experience getting access to medical care like everybody else .
Or to put it another way , how about going to the pharmacy for advice , seeing the nurse practitioner , trying telehealth , visiting a 24-hour clinic , or sitting in ED for 15 hours ?
Cocooning pollies in Canberra with their own medical access will further remove them from the reality experienced by millions of Australians .
Why do I hear the words , “ Oh , they have no bread ? Let them eat cake ”?
Dr Amber Moore O & G , Melbourne , Vic
Chances of romance not so remote ? |
How will Dr Ernest
Wong find true love if everyone within 200km is his patient ?
Actually , I moved from Sydney — a city of five million , where I could not meet anyone remotely interesting — to a town of 5000 people . It was there , within the first week , that I met my future husband at a party .
I had issued him a medical certificate as a patient once before we dated but have never seen him as a patient since , although I take care of him when he has man-flu , of course .
It is the same as making friends in rural areas : you just have to be discrete about allowing people into your inner circle of confidants and be aware of your boundaries .
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But you cannot go without some form of a social life in rural towns . It is important for your mental health to enjoy where you live .
Don ’ t worry , real love will find a way !
Dr Frances Pengelly GP , Scone , NSW
Breaking the insidious silence Professor Steve Robson :
The story of my own near-suicide and how I came through
Professor Robson , I was so moved years ago when you first shared your experience .
Thank you for another article full of authenticity and warmth ; it is so timely for the culture in which we continue to work .
As a fellow obstetrician , I can particularly relate to so much of what you have written .
Dr Danielle Quittner O & G , Melbourne , Vic
This is an incredible read . There remains something intrinsically wrong with the culture of medicine and the health system in which we work .
It demands we work under incredible stress and make extraordinary decisions with life-altering consequences .
And then we drive home to see our families and are supposed to feel normal .
The normalisation of the extreme is what drives health staff to burnout , depression and suicide .
The system , and society at large , threatens doctors with consequences if they err , and the risk of shame and humiliation keeps our mistakes and frailty fermenting quietly in dark vats .
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The answer is to ensure we have routine debriefs and protected disclosure , a culture of openness and support for our daily challenges .
Yet the current system only provides mental health support when things seemingly go wrong .
This has no preventive component to it . It relies on our willingness to admit we have a problem in a flawed culture of ‘ suck it up ’ — or to paraphrase Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons , “ Big doctors don ’ t cry .”
Associate Professor Shane White Oncologist , Melbourne , Vic
Heavy-handed ban ’ s weighty consequences Dr Nick Coatsworth :
Compounded semaglutide ban is a mistake and will harm patients
Because the government — this one in particular — is incapable of any nuanced response , it resorts to one of tax or ban .
The black market will explode , with the safety issues ( officially the reason for this ) being far worse .
As usual , there is no problem that the government cannot make worse .
Dr Joe Kosterich GP , Perth , WA
The current problem is the dodgy online compounded products . But who would ever order a treatment this way ?
A large proportion of those patients who can no longer access good-quality compounded semaglutide from safe pharmacies either go underground ( putting money into criminal gangs ) or stop using it and lose all the gains they have made , with all the health issues that brings .
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Others will also access legitimate Ozempic , causing supply problems for patients with diabetes again .
Dr Charlotte Goodall GP , Adelaide , SA
Free will is a bitter pill to swallow Doctor takes aim at
‘ pompous , bow tie – wearing ’ specialist training committees
Abuse has never been a particularly effective form of persuasion .
Colleges could double the number of training posts overnight : the community would just have to accept specialists with half the experience .
As for wanting specialists to move to rural areas after training , there is no point in being bitter about one ’ s own FOMO for Sydney ’ s restaurants because one may have chosen the ‘ altruism ’ of rural practice .
For most workers , a dollar is a dollar . One cannot artificially choke off available work in metropolitan areas in order to conscript to the bush .
There is , and always has been , only one incentive : appropriate remuneration — fee-for-service procedures for public patients and rural weighting of Medicare rebates .
That would overcome some aspects and pay for boarding school for the kids if desired .
But it still does not overcome the social isolation of practitioners without a partner , the lack of interaction with peers within the specialty and other aspects of city life that — like anybody else — doctors are allowed to find appealing .
Dr Mark Walland Ophthalmic surgeon , Melbourne , Vic
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The issue is that such patients have psychiatric issues requiring treatment , including admission .
This is not done , restraining orders are not policed and eventually it all comes to a horrible climax .
I am so grateful that Dr Chaney and her patient survived , as others have not .
Why do we tolerate this lack of care provision ? Why do politicians give lip service ? We need serious conversations about cultural safety at home and at work .
We need laws to be tightened , and we need a judiciary that cares about individuals who are stalked and the stalker who needs psychiatric care .
Dr Dagmara Poprawski Oncologist , Adelaide , SA
Good news should travel fast We should not make patients wait before breaking good news
I totally agree , Dr Pam . Many practices use Best Practice software . Clicking on the ‘ BP comms ’ button , I send endless messages of good news .
It sends a ‘ no reply ’ short email , which only takes about 30 seconds and is greatly appreciated .
Dr Maureen Fitzsimon GP , Sunshine Coast , Qld
I do that too . It is so easy and takes a few seconds .
I understand the anguish of not knowing and having to wait for results ; it is nerve-racking .
A simple message can help so much .
Dr Gagandeep Sawhney GP , Sydney , NSW
This will not be an issue when the Federal Government edict allows all results , good or bad , to be immediately uploaded to My Health Record for the patient to open and decipher for themselves .
Dr Melissa Ford GP , Yarrabilba , Qld
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