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Health Minister Resigns FAMILY DOCTOR WEEK SPECIAL EDITION CANBERRA Informing the Canberra Doctor medical community since 1988 Issue 4, 2019 | Canberra Doctor is proudly brought to you by the AMA (ACT) Limited. Circulation: 1,900 in ACT & region Health Minister Resigns In late June, Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris announced her resignation from both the ACT Ministry and the Legislative Assembly. On 1 July she stood down as Health Minister and on 5 July departed the Legislative Assembly. First elected as the member for Yerrabi in 2015, by the end of 2016 Meegan Fitzharris was Health Minister in a re-elected Barr Labor Government. The resignation came as a sur- Mr Barr said, she left a legacy of ber, she has presided over con- prise to both politicians and the important work such as light rail struction of the light rail project public at large with no hint of Ms and long-term decisions across and many changes in the health system,” Fitzharris’ intention emerging portfolios that she had led. before the announcement was “Her workload, particularly in the made. In taking the decision to health portfolio, was extremely resign, Ms Fitzharris indicated It was an chall­­enging yet she was always professional and committed to that she wanted to spend more extremely her duties.” time with her young family and heavy workload ‘ The ACT Greens acting leader, could not commit to a further and Minister four-year term following the Oc- Caroline Le Couteur, released a Fitzharris had statement in which she said that tober 2020 ACT election. many calls on Ms Fitzharris’s leadership had “been invaluable in improving Tributes for Meegan Fitzharris: surprise resignation (Photo: Canberra Times). her time both Canberra’s health system.” Former Minister in and out of Heavy Workload away from the health portfolio. It tinuing difficulties in the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr was was an extremely heavy workload public hospital system, will hope- the Legislative During her time as Health Min- fulsome is his praise for the out- and Minister Fitzharris had many fully be able to bring the Govern- going Minister, saying that while Assembly ister, Ms Fitzharris also had the calls on her time both in and out Transport portfolio including re- ment’s focus back to Health. he had tried to talk her out of of the Legislative Assembly. sponsibility for the construction Further information about the quitting, he fully respected and Opposition leader, Alaistair Coe The new Minister for Health, Ra- and commissioning of the light new Minister is on page 11 of this understood her decision, “I sup- also praised Ms Fitzharris, “Dur- rail project. There’s no doubt that chel Stephen-Smith, comes into edition of the Canberra Doctor. port it, I support her and I always ing her time in the Assembly, in this heavy workload and dual re- the portfolio without the burden will.’’ he said. addition to being a local mem- sponsibilities took some focus of Transport and, given the con- Continued page 10... VOLUME 31, No. 4 CANBERRA DOCTOR: Informing the Canberra medical community since 1988 President’s Notes WITH PRESIDENT, DR ANTONIO DI DIO Your Family Doctor and You: fought off the co-payment a cou- my tendency to chat a bit ( I call it Partnering for Health ple of years ago, then got a com- “talking”, they call it “ranting, pon- mitment to end the rebate freeze, tificating, and in the case of the Hello all and thanks again for then had our input listened to in the your continued work in medicine Brumbies or Dragons, uncontrol- MBS review debate, and now earli- for Canberra. Sometimes this job lably sobbing”) makes me less ef- er this month had the first rebate seems to be all about hospitals and ficient than some others, perhaps! increase of significance for years. the ACT public hospital system, Saffron speaks of the need for and it’s easy to forget that every More importantly, the Federal AMA calm where there is none, and single day, most of the doctors in has successfully lobbied to have kind words to soothe addled tem- this and every town, are in gener- indexation into these rebates for pers, and she is right. I’ve lost al practice. As are most medical our patients, and I’m proud to have count over the years the number premises, and the vast majority seen the immense efforts that AMA of times I’ve felt I’ve contributed of patient encounters. And, to my put into that effort start to pay off. nothing, just listened to a tale of relentlessly jaundiced GP’s eye, GPs are value for money woe, which was greeted with my so is the toughest work, the most patient’s thanks for being so help- generalised presentations, the Unfortunately, despite all that work ful. And all I did was listen. sharpest required focus, and the and success, it is painfully obvious greatest fulfilment and reward. to those of us in general practice She’s right, though, because when our flock are distressed and upset Having a Federal AMA president that the extraordinary increases about all the stormy seas they’re being a GP in Tony Bartone, I know in health expenditure every year in sailing ( two metaphors and the that at the national level we have Australia are not evenly distribut- sentence ain’t over yet – Mr Blain a real understanding of the issues ed – such is the complexity of the in year 8 English would be ready that beset us daily. The demand system that it would be foolish to attempt it – but the payment made to strangle me by now) they need grows, the patients themselves Dr Antonio Di Dio: diamonds or kind words? (Photo: Jamila Toderas). ask for more complexity at each to general practitioners being fro- us more than ever, especially if encounter, other professionals zen for much of the last decade there’s nothing we can do to fix it. my first ever patient as an intern reason why we are here. I got a lot and agencies seek out the parts demonstrates eloquently just how Sometimes knowing that some- years earlier involved a 1 am man- of gloriously unnecessary pastries one cares is the best, not the sec- of our work that they can easily do much value for money the army of ual disempaction in the bowels and muscular homemade grog out ond-best, response of all. without seeking the tough parts, GPs in Australia are to the system. of RPA Hospital, I knew that the of that encounter, and a love of my and cost pressures never abate. I’m proud to be part of that group, Purls, on the other hand, lives by universe was delivering me a mes- community that I realised, perhaps Thanks to extraordinary work although my partners, Saffron and the Armstrong Principle of finding sage. On this occasion, the eighth for the first time, could be recipro- from our Federal counterparts, we Purls, would happily point out that diamonds in the sand, her code for gastro patient arrived, and looked cated in a way more than that of feeling every breast carefully for the and sounded exactly the same, but just satisfied customers. lump you expect not to be there. And just felt in some way indefinably Funny thing about general practice, then it’s there. I’ve seen her save different. the seven kids with gastro I saw ACT Dermatology welcomes several lives this way, and cannot before the meningococcal child – imagine a better way to practice. Before my eyes the rash appeared, Dr Rachael Anforth to its team and less than forty minutes later they were ALSO the reason I was Diamonds and kind words he was intubated in nearby Con- there. One of them was ill because of staggeringly poor parenting, and DR RACHAEL ANFORTH: MEDICAL AND SURGICAL DERMATOLOGY Twenty years ago, on a busy Sat- cord Hospital. Not for a minute that family did exceptionally well urday morning in Five Dock, I saw does this demonstrate any particu- With particular interest in general medical dermatology including acne, with years of love and support. eczema, psoriasis, biologics, hyperhidrosis, pigmentary disorders as well as seven consecutive children with lar competence of mine, but rather the medical and surgical management of skin cancer. simple gastro-enteritis. Just like the diamonds among the sand, the Continued page 9... A/PROF ANDREW MILLER: MEDICAL AND SURGICAL DERMATOLOGY With particular interest in advanced medical and surgical management of skin cancer, bullous disease, connective tissue disease, autoimmune NEED A JP? disease, psoriasis, acne and eczema. Certification of documents, DR CATHERINE DRUMMOND: MEDICAL DERMATOLOGY witnessing of signatures, With particular interest in Paediatric and Vulval Dermatology, as well as DR MUHAMMAD KAHLOON statutory declarations advanced medical management of bullous disease, connective tissue Specialising in Robotic and Laparoscopic Urological Surgery and affidavits disease, autoimmune disease, psoriasis, acne and eczema. PROSTATE MRI Fusion guided trans perineal prostate biopsy, All Doctors continue to accept new referrals, by facsimile 6247 3621 Robotic radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, or email: [email protected] BPH including laser prostatectomy treatment and UroLift procedures Call CHRISTINE BRILL For Urgent appointments, please contact the Practice Manager at BLADDER Justice of the Peace (ACT) [email protected] Haematuria, bladder stones and bladder tumours KIDNEY DISEASE 0407 123 670 Laparoscopic surgery for kidney cancer and kidney stones Conveniently located in Garran TESTICULAR TUMOURS and close to south side hospitals. CIRCUMCISION Urgent patient treatment can be arranged by contacting our of ce Suite 24, John James Medical Centre 175 Strickland Cres, DEAKIN ACT 2600 p: 02 6285 2984 e: [email protected] w: www.capitalurology.com.au [2] CANBERRA DOCTOR: Informing the Canberra medical community since 1988 ISSUE 4, 2019 Capital Health Network: Support to General Practice BY ADJ PROF GAYLENE COULTON, CAPITAL HEALTH NETWORK CHIEF EXECUTIVE We know that general practice is the cornerstone of the In total there are 22 modules on of- in many of the modules there are primary health care system in Australia.
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