Australian Doctor 20th June 2025 | Page 19

abreast of the latest developments to be double-checked by a psychic who has no qualifications, charges twice as much and does not have to answer to AHPRA.

Jane McDowall Psychologist, Brisbane, Qld

Two chiropractors ordered to repay $ 300,000 in Medicare claims, including unnecessary X-rays: PSR

I am so glad to see this getting sorted by the Professional Services Review.

I was once a patient of a chiropractor, and my whole spine and pelvis were unnecessarily X-rayed.

Adriana: The braindead woman kept alive as a‘ fetal incubator’

He did not even look at the X-rays; he only seemed interested in the billings he could claim.

I believe faith is the basis for many of the laws that endeavour to protect the embryo and developing

Dr Eisen Liang Radiologist, Sydney, NSW

fetus and hence prevent abortion. These laws are based on the concept

of an all-powerful God who

I have seen many patients who have had X-rays ordered by chiropractors with no reports made.

Some will inform the patients that they are not balanced / aligned and therefore need corrections— ie, treatment.

But I would also stress I do have patients who swear by chiropractors, having experienced excellent results.

Dr Arnold Dela Cruz GP, Brisbane, Qld

The AusDoc debate:

Is working as a solo GP unsafe?

I think it depends on how you define‘ solo’.

I am solo but work in aged care facilities with RNs and nurse practitioners.

I have regular, prolonged sessions with pharmacists.

I also talk to my specialist colleagues and email them questions, which they are almost always kind enough to answer.

And I discuss cases and clinical issues regularly in various online forums.

This is very different from a solo GP sitting in a room all day with an admin person taking care of the paperwork.

I think solo is fine if you are doing it the right way.

Dr Fiona Wallace GP, Sheffield, Tas

Dr Jon Fogarty’ s article accurately identifies the reasons why the solo GP has disappeared in the cities and regional centres. However, he has not mentioned the many small rural towns that can only support a solo practice— at least under current financial arrangements.

All the downsides of solo

practice are just as present out in the bush, so it is little wonder we cannot recruit new graduates to these places and we are left with GP deserts.

We need to look at funding models for these small towns that support a sustainable practice.

Maybe solo needs to disappear from the bush too.

Dr Peter Maguire GP, Narrogin, WA

If a solo GP is keeping up to date with current knowledge and consults with specialists on difficult cases, I am curious to know if there is much of a clinical difference between a solo GP and a multidoctor practice.

This is a genuine question— do GPs in a multi-doctor practice regularly consult with the other GPs?

Cannot solo GPs also consult with fellow GPs?

Dr Sonia Foley GP, Sydney, NSW

I have been a solo GP for the past 20 years and have recently retired. I enjoyed the job immensely. Yes, I was busy, of course, but fortunate to have had a practice manager of great quality who did all“ that stuff”.

I never turned the computer on, ignored the inane bureaucracy as much as possible, and had a nurse one day a week.

We had 2500 patients, we did procedures and the ever-growing psychology consults reflecting modern society.

I thoroughly rejected tick-box medicine and the care plans and the rest.

It seems it is a business these days, not a vocation.

Another sad sign of the times.

Dr Stephen Willmott GP, Hawks Nest, NSW

Life as a bush kid:‘ When I woke up, I immediately checked my balls— whew, all okay’

I can relate to everything in this beautiful article.

For me, it was only 12 miles to the nearest ice-cream shop, but it might as well have been 100.

Living in similar circumstances, I lost my tonsils and appendix in our little hospital, but I still have my nuts as far as I can tell.

Dr Clyde Ronan GP, Yarrawonga, Vic

The dismal science returns: How do you make GLP-1 RAs worth taxpayers’ money?

While we wonder about the vast cost of subsidising obesity medication, what about implementing the National Obesity Strategy?

We know what to do: reduce advertising and marketing of processed food and drink; work towards a sustainable food system— from agriculture to transport to retail to marketing; improve nutrition in processed foods and slowly shift consumer preferences.

We need to address the structures that make us gain weight. Until we do, the number of

overweight and obese individuals will increase.

Dr Rosalie Schultz GP, Alice Springs, NT

Tax high-energy, low-nutrient foods to pay for these anti-obesity treatments. Then we would kill two birds with one stone.

Dr Christopher Davis Medical practitioner, Wamuran, Qld

At a recent Healthed Women’ s and Children’ s Health Update, we were offered pastries and cakes for afternoon tea. No fruit anywhere. All I needed was a piece of fruit, but instead, I ate a pastry and a small cake. I was feeling bad but ate it because I did not want to be hungry during the CPR update!

Seriously, why serve such unhealthy food at a GP conference?

Dr Elissa Armitage GP, Melbourne, Vic

Just as bad at the anaesthetic conferences, where we were served something with bright green frosting, not even resembling real food.

Dr Julia Wood Anaesthetist, Melbourne, Vic

My patient demanded a 2am telehealth consult: She thought her request was reasonable

I am a psychologist, and my clients often go to psychics to confirm my diagnosis.

It is quite frustrating after 43 years of practice, 43 years of CPD and continual reading to keep

cares for each human life.

Is it not strange that God would allow a young mother to be struck down with a brain haemorrhage and die and then expect mankind to keep her alive( using intensive care) for months for the baby to be born and, in doing so, spend thousands of dollars that could have more easily and definitely saved 50 starving children in Palestine or East Africa?

Dr Alan Mclean GP, Wiluna, WA

’ You do not have cysts on your ovaries’: PCOS likely to be renamed this year

Renaming is a popular‘ solution’ to these dilemmas. Regardless of the moniker, we still have to explain what the diagnosis means. Renaming inevitably creates confusion. Renaming dysplastic naevi and in-situ melanoma is currently being promoted in dermatology. The belief is that the former means people will assume these lesions are destined to become malignant, the latter because it includes the word‘ melanoma’ and therefore creates needless anxiety.

Anecdotally, this response is the result of poor patient education rather than the names.

Regardless of name, surely the resultant management of melanoma in situ reinforces the seriousness?

Calling them‘ low-risk melanocytic neoplasms’, as is often suggested, is fine, but then doing a wide excision hardly sends the message that there is nothing to worry about here.

What does‘ low risk’ mean to a patient?

Associate Professor James Muir Dermatologist, Brisbane, Qld