Doctor Q Summer 2021

SUMMER 2021

MEE T DR TAHNEE BRIDSON

QUEENSL AND YOUNG AUSTR ALIAN OF THE YE AR

GROWING FE AR OF MEDICAL MISTAK ES GRIPS PANDEMIC-WE ARY JUNIOR DOCTORS WHAT HAS AMA QUEENSL AND DONE FOR YOU THIS Y E AR?

Made for doctors and their families I switched to Doctors’ Health Fund because it was the only fund created for doctors and their families.

We recently expanded our family, and it gives me assurance that they are all covered under the policy.

Dr Wilson Petrushnko and family Doctors’ Health Fund members since 2021

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10/21 (ID-27)

Contents

People & Events Current Issues

Reports 5 6 7 12 27 29 34 64

Editor’s desk President and CEO report AMA Queensland Scorecard AMA Queensland in the media Council of General Practice update Council of Doctors in Training update Catching up with ASMOFQ AMA Queensland Foundation update

15 19 20 31 32 33 36 40

Medicinal cannabis Navigating QScript Workplace Relations Team – here to help Recognition and reward So you want to be a locum?

COVID-19 and the Rural Doctor in Training Connecting data, not just collecting Research round up

Features 16 22 24

8 10 11 37 38 41 42 43

Queensland Young Australian of the Year: Dr Tahnee Bridson 2021 Resident Hospital Health Check

Women in Medicine wrap up Junior Doctor Conference Townsville Member Milestones Doctors’ Health in Queensland Inaugural Annual Wellness Day Member profile: Dr Hau Tan Local Medical Association round up Obituary: Dr Kate Sinclair Obituary: Dr Wylie Gibbons

Business 44 46 48 50 52

Don’t leave choosing your finance specialist to chance Direct international investments Do I really need a medical defence organisation?

Payroll tax ruling explained What is business interruption insurance and why do I need it?

What has AMA Queensland done for you this year?

Lifestyle 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 62 66

My hobby: Portrait Photography Time to take a paws

54

Languishing

M Y HOBBY

38 MEMBER PROFILE: DR HAU TA N

All About You Dendy cinemas Vincent Tenute Ca’Botta Restaurant review: Opa InPrint: Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment

COV E R PHOTO CRE DIT: @SA LT Y DINGO

8 CELEBR ATING QUEENSL A ND’S WOMEN IN MEDICINE SUMMER | DOCTOR Q

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Future is an attitude

Overtake tomorrow

The all-new Audi S3 Sportback. Arriving early 2022.

Stunningly gorgeous, unbelievably powerful, the all-new Audi S3 Sportback offers an incredible 228kW of power and 400Nm of torque. A true luxury sports car that propels you from 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.

Overseas model with optional equipment shown.

Editor’s Desk

Board of Directors Prof Chris Perry OAM President of Board and Council

Dr Maria Boulton Member Appointed Director and Greater Brisbane Area Representative

Dr Nicholas Yim Member Appointed Director and General Practitioner Craft Group

Dr Sarah Coll Member Appointed Director and Specialist Representative

Dr Peter Isdale AM Skills Based Director

Dr Sanjeev Bandi Capricornia Area Representative

Dr Erica Gannon Specialist Representative

Dr Louise Robinson Gold Coast Area Representative

Dr Kimberley Bondeson Greater Brisbane Area Representative

A/Prof Geoffrey Hawson Senior Doctors Representative

Dr Siva Senthuran Full-time Salaried Medical Practitioner Craft Group

Dr Michael Clements North Area Representative

Dr Vikas Moudgil Greater Brisbane Area Representative

Dr Emily Shao Greater Brisbane Area Representative

Dr Andrew Cronin Part-Time Medical Practitioner Representative

A/Prof Cornelius (Kees) Nydam North Coast Area Representative

Dr David Shepherd Far North Area Representative

Dr Emilia Dauway International Medical Graduate Representative

Dr Rachael O’Rourke Greater Brisbane Area Representative

Dr Bav Manoharan Vice President of Board and Council Dr Eleanor Chew OAM Chair of Board and Council

Ann Fordyce Skills Based Director

Council

Dr Dilip Dhupelia Immediate Past President Dr Siyaguna Ekanayake (Dilum) Greater Brisbane Area Representative

Dr Fiona Raciti General Practitioner Representative Prof Tony Rahman Specialist Representative

Shiven Singh Medical Student Representative Dr Maddison Taylor Doctor in Training Representative Dr Ben Wakefield Downs and West Area Representative Dr Ian Williams General Practitioner Craft Group Representative

AMA Queensland Secretariat Dr Brett Dale Chief Executive Officer Filomena Ferlan General Manager – Corporate Services

Editor: Michelle Ford Russ Print Post Approved PP100007532

Katherine Gonzalez-Cork General Manager – Member Services and Strategic Partnerships

Phone:

Bronwyn Fardon General Manager – Marketing, Communications and Media

(07) 3872 2222

Address: PO Box 123, Red Hill QLD 4059 Email:

amaq@amaq.com.au

Disclaimer – All material in Doctor Q remains the copyright of AMA Queensland and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission. While every care is taken to provide accurate information in this publication, the material within Doctor Q is for general information and guidance only and is not intended as advice. Readers are advised to make their own enquiries and/or seek professional advice as to the accuracy of the content of such articles and/or their applicability to any particular circumstances.

AMA Queensland, its servants and agents exclude, to the maximum extent permitted by law, any liability which may arise as a result of the use of the material in Doctor Q.

We are coming up to almost two years on this COVID pandemic and I think it’s fair to say that everyone needs a break. Many of you were stretched before COVID hit and now we just keep looking for the extra load to ease up.

It’s easy to be exhausted from constant COVID updates, new cases, new restrictions, new variants! It baffles the mind that we are also battling people who think COVID is one big hoax and vaccinating people is some kind of scientific experiment. Take a break if you can over the festive season and we’ll keep on fighting in the new year.

Michelle

Merry Christmas We wish you all a safe and healthy Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please note the AMA Queensland office will close at 3pm on Thursday 23 December and will reopen at 8.30am on Tuesday, 4 January 2022.

Correction In our Winter Doctor Q, we printed an article titled First Robotic Surgeries in North Queensland. We have been duly informed that the surgical robot, Da Vinci XI, is new to the Mater Private Hospital Townsville this year, but has been in use in Cairns public and private hospitals for some time.

Obituaries The following AMA Queensland members have recently passed away. Our sincere condolences to their families.

Dr William Laman THOMAS Orthopaedic Surgeon Late of Cairns Member for 63 years

Dr Mervyn CHEONG Physician Late of Sunnybank Member for 62 years

Dr Brian Sidney COLE General Practitioner Late of Ashgrove Member for 65 years

Dr Justin Frederick NASSER Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Late of Surfers Paradise Member for nine years

Dr Katharine Georgiana SINCLAIR Neurologist Late of Newmarket Member for three years

follow us Queensland Doctors’ Community

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q

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President and CEO Report PROF CHRIS PERRY OAM President

Vaccination rates have picked up and Queensland’s borders are soon to reopen, but the emergence of the Omicron strain shows that the COVID pandemic is far from over. While there is much to learn about this variant, including how infectious it is, the severity of illness, and how effective our current vaccines are, the State Government remains committed to its roadmap to reopening.

AMA Queensland has concerns about how our already overstretched hospitals will cope with inevitable COVID outbreaks, and we continue to advocate for urgent solutions to bed block and emergency department ramping.

DR BRETT DALE

COVID-19 AMA Queensland welcomes the government’s decision to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all public and private health care workers.

We believe it is vital that everyone working in a health care setting, whether it be a public hospital or a GP’s surgery, is fully vaccinated.

We advocated for the mandate publicly and behind closed doors for months.

We also know that it is complex for small employers like GPs and other private specialists to meet the legalities required to mandate vaccinations for their employees, and we are pleased the State Government heeded our calls and showed leadership in this area.

RESIDENT HOSPITA L HE A LTH CHECK This year’s Resident Hospital Health Check – a collaboration between AMA Queensland’s Council of Doctors in Training (CDT) and ASMOFQ (Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland) – showed how COVID has contributed to fatigue and stress for junior doctors, with more than half fearing exhaustion on the job will lead to them making medical mistakes.

The survey of 808 interns, house officers and other junior doctors found that 51 per cent cited fatigue due to working excessively long hours as a significant concern, up from 48 per cent in 2020 and 46 per cent in 2019.

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The upward trend is a wakeup call for our hospital system, particularly as almost one in three survey respondents said they had felt unsafe at work this year, up from one in five two years ago.

We also need to do much more to ensure doctors in training are paid properly for all the hours they work without fearing that overtime claims could negatively affect their assessment.

AMA Queensland is continuing to advocate for government funding for the Wellbeing at Work program, which improves doctors’ mental health and workplace safety. While the State Budget did not include the $1.97 million we asked for, we are calling on the government to urgently re-examine the case in the wake of these latest results. Read more on p22.

PUBLIC HOSPITA LS As we prepare to release our Ramping Roundtable’s Action Plan, the AMA Public Hospital Report Card 2021 shows the increasing pressure that Queensland’s health system will face when borders reopen.

AMA Queensland’s Ramping Roundtable is putting together an action plan for Queensland Health to ease the pressure on emergency departments.

This includes having more staff to manage beds in wards so that patients can move from emergency departments more quickly, freeing up beds to avoid situations like last month’s unprecedented declaration of Code Yellows at four North Queensland hospitals on the same day.

Chief Executive Officer

PA RLIA MENTA RY INQUIRY INTO HE A LTH SYSTEM The parliamentary inquiry into the problems in Queensland’s health care system must look at issues of State funding, not just areas of Commonwealth responsibility.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announced the Health and Environment Committee inquiry on 17 November, with a reporting date of 31 March 2022 and a focus on Medicare rebates, Commonwealth Distribution Priority Areas, and the availability of medical training places.

The AMA Queensland submission to the inquiry will focus on the problems with State funding over the past 30 years, as well as Federal responsibilities.

We know Australia is down about 6,500 beds for public hospitals, and that translates in Queensland to about 1,500 beds that need to be built.

The State Government may want this inquiry just to be on Federal Government issues, which are considerable, but it will also bring to mind the shortfalls and where money needs to be spent in the State Government.

CA BOOLTURE HOSPITA L RE VIE W

YOUNG AUSTR A LIA N OF THE Y E A R

Gaps in culture and data were found in the Independent Governance Review into the Caboolture Hospital released in October.

AMA Queensland member and psychiatric registrar Dr Tahnee Bridson has been named Queensland’s Young Australian of the Year 2022 for her work in promoting mental health care and wellbeing for health care workers.

AMA Queensland recognises the work of ASMOFQ (Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland) who have been working with doctors and the Metro North Hospital and Health Service, to ensure members’ voices and concerns were included in the review process. Read more on p34.

Dr Bridson, 29, founded Hand-n-Hand Peer Support, a free and confidential service for doctors and nurses struggling with the growing emotional burden of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more on p16.

AMA Queensland

ScoreCard 2021 Q3

01 JUL - 30 SEP

MEDIA

A M A QUEENSL A ND FOUNDATION CHRISTM AS A PPE A L The AMA Queensland Foundation is proudly supporting Juiced TV for this year’s Christmas Appeal with the aim to raise $25,000 for a new, high-end, broadcast quality camera.

Juiced TV is an Australian-first program that provides the opportunity for patients and their siblings to star in their own show and share their hospital journey in an empowering and positive way, creating and connecting a community of hospital heroes.

Read more on p65. Donate today!

263 Mentions 121 Inquiries

16.1M Audience

54.6k Website

page

216

views

2,103

9.7k followers Social media

Member 122 New engagements

members

Ministerial, government

and key stakeholder meetings

91% the session likely to recommend

Industrial

10 Sessions 5 Hospitals

Wellbeing

at Work

7 Appearances before the Commission

Relations 2k member engagements 58 New employment contracts Workplace

592 member engagements

relations

Policy Advocacy 19 SUMMER | DOCTOR Q

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DR S JA N E WA LTE R S A N D C A ROLY N RUSSE LL

DR S K ATE BRU N E LLO, C ATH E RIN E MCDOUG A LL A N D JU LIA SLY KE RM A N

DRS JASNEEK CHAWL A AND MIRIAM CAMERON

R ACH E L ROBINSON, DR PAU LIN E JOU BE RT, M A RNIE SMITH A N D DR M E LIN DA H E Y WOOD

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DRS CHERIE HSIUNG AND SHANTHA RHAGWAN

T H E WOMEN IN MEDICINE PA N E L – DR A LE X M A RK W E LL, DR RHIA LIA NG WITH CH AIR DR M E LLISSA N AIDOO

DR S RE BECC A A DA MS A N D RE BECC A CLE A RY

TR ACE Y MCN EIL, SIMON E W H E E LE R A N D LY N N H E N RY

Women in Medicine Breakfast N E W DE PU T Y CHIE F H E A LTH OFFICE R DR LY N N E MCKIN LE Y A N D SH A DOW MINIS TE R FOR H E A LTH A N D A M BU L A NCE SE RV ICE S ROS BATE S M P

AMA Queensland’s ever-popular Women in Medicine Breakfast was a big hit again this year. With attendees joined by the inspiring speakers Associate Professor Rhea Liang, Dr Alex Markwell and Dr Mellissa Naidoo, the morning was filled with motivating stories of support, networking and advice.

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Junior Doctor Conference Townsville

V IDH USH A N PA H E E R ATH A N, WILLIA M BUCK’S JU LIE O’REILLY, A M A QU E E NSL A N D COU NCIL OF DOC TOR S IN TR AINING CO - CH AIR DR N ATA SH A A BE YSE KE R A A N D JA DE Y EU NG

DR A LYSSA ORMON D

2021 was the first time AMA Queensland’s Junior Doctor Conference was held in Townsville. The two-day program was orchestrated by the AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training Co-Chairs Drs Natasha Abeysekera and Rob Nayer and the Events Team.

On 28 and 29 August, delegates learnt from presenters covering an array of topics including common employment issues, financial planning, exploring the exciting and varied lifestyle of a doctor in regional and rural Queensland, interview preparation advice and how to write the perfect resume and great keynote presentations including Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM. The event would not have been possible without the wonderful host and major sponsor, James Cook University. Thank you to sponsors Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, ASMOFQ, Cornerstone Recruitment, Credabl, Cutcher & Neale, Doctors Health Fund, MDA National, QDHP, QML, RACGP and William Buck. Audi was the proud sponsor of the social event which was hosted in their showroom.

We’re looking forward to having two JDCs in 2022 in both the Gold Coast and Cairns, we hope to see you there!

A M A QU E E NSL A N D COU NCILLOR A N D SPE A KE R DR DAV ID SH E PH E RD

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ISA AC O’DE M P SE Y, A M A QU E E NSL A N D COU NCILLOR DR M A DDI TAY LOR, CORRIN E JOH NSON A N D A N N E LISE PE REIR A

KIA N LOT TE R A N D DA NIE L Y UA N

INTE RV IE W PRE PA R ATION A DV ICE PA N E L: DR SA R A H COLL, PROF TA RU N SE N GU P TA, DR M A DDI TAY LOR A N D DR ROB N AY E R

CE LE BR ATING M E M BE R S W HO H AV E RE ACH E D 50 Y E A R S: ( L - R ) DR S KEITH MITCH E LL, PE TE R COH N, PROF CH RIS PE RRY, G A RRY BUCH A N - H E PBU RN, LY N N KE N N E DY, WILLIA M WAT T S, MICH A E L BRIN E R, MICH A E L GORDON A N D DE N NIS COS TIG A N

CE LE BR ATING M E M BE R S W HO H AV E RE ACH E D 40 Y E A R S: ( BACK ROW, L - R ) DR KIM BU LWIN KE L, PROF CH RIS PE RRY, DR S G REGORY BE A K, MICH A E L O’SU LLI VA N, A M A N DA G RE AV E S, V E RNON MOO, DR E DWA RD DAU BE R, DR JU DITH SPU RLING. FRONT ROW: DR S A LE X CHI A N D C ATH E RIN E Y E LL A N D

CE LE BR ATING M E M BE R S W HO H AV E RE ACH E D 35 Y E A R S: ( BACK ROW, L - R ) PROF CH RIS PE RRY, DR S G REGORY SILLE R, M AT TH E W FOLE Y, ROG E R A LLISON. FRONT ROW: DR S E LE A NOR CH E W, C A ROL COX, THOM A S DOOL A N (30 Y E A R S ) A N D JOH N A RMS TRONG

CE LE BR ATING M E M BE R S W HO H AV E RE ACH E D 45 Y E A R S: DR S ROSCOE FORE M A N A N D DR JOH N KE A RN E Y

Members honoured for reaching significant milestones In December, AMA Queensland celebrated members who reached significant membership milestones: 50, 45, 40, 35, 30 and 25 years.

Our members’ unwavering support has helped us to advocate for the best interests of the medical profession and health system - and ultimately the wider community here in Queensland. It is our great honour to work on your behalf.

Our strong membership base has made our vital work possible and will allow us to continue representing our members into the future. We thank all of our members for your ongoing commitment to AMA Queensland. Your loyalty is invaluable.

CE LE BR ATING M E M BE R S W HO H AV E RE ACH E D 25 Y E A R S: DR S SCOT T FE RGUSON, SA R A H MCM A HON A N D E DWA RD C A SSIDY WITH PROF CH RIS PE RRY

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AMA Queensland in the media AMA Queensland continues to amplify member concerns with our powerful media profile that influences government and leads the conversation on key issues for the medical profession in the state.

Here are key media stories we achieved in the last quarter.

RAMPING ROUNDTABLE The ramping crisis at hospitals around Queensland dominated the news in early October, particularly when Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Mt Isa hospitals all declared code yellows within hours of each other.

AMA Queensland Ramping Roundtable Chair Dr Kim Hansen held a press conference ahead of the roundtable’s meeting, warning that the hospital system would not cope with a COVID outbreak after the borders reopened.

“We absolutely need more doctors, nurses and beds. We need more data publicly shared about waiting times and available hospital beds,” Dr Hansen told 4BC. “We need more timely access to emergency surgery once patients are admitted.”

VACCINATION RATES Queensland’s vaccine rollout got off to a slow start with concerns about the AstraZeneca jab and limited supplies of the Pfizer vaccine. At the time in September, AMA Queensland Council of General Practice Chair Dr Maria Boulton fought back against claims that GPs were dragging the chain.

After a stoush broke out between the Federal and State Governments over who was responsible for failing to order an extra 60,000 doses of Pfizer, Dr Boulton told 4BC that GPs were ordering as much vaccine as they could.

“We have never had enough supply of Pfizer, and there are still a lot of GP clinics that are waiting for some supply to arrive,” she said.

“At my clinic, we received an email earlier in the week letting us know that the Pfizer supply will increase in the next week, and asking us how many we can do.

“Currently we are only receiving 150 a week. We have been asking for more doses since the start, and we still don’t have enough.”

Within a fortnight, supply improved but was still outstripped by demand, Dr Boulton told the ABC. “In my clinic, we’ve gone up from 300 a week to 500 a week supply, so that means I’ve been able to open up more appointments.

“There’s no wastage. We treat the vaccines like liquid gold, and if I have a couple of people not turn up at the end of a clinic, I will ring until I find two people to vaccinate.”

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AMA Queensland President Professor Chris Perry said there is no spare capacity in the hospital system to cope with a surge in patients.

“Our resources are already stretched and if we do have a sudden jump in COVID, we are all going to be in serious trouble, especially in motor vehicle accidents or a heart attack,” he told 4BC.

GE T IN VOLV ED If you’d like to put your hand up to speak to media on particular current issues, please call Bronwyn Fardon or Maria Hawthorne on (07) 3872 2222.

If you’d like to be a part of any upcoming social media campaigns, or would like us to highlight your workplace or practice, please call Michelle Ford Russ on (07) 3872 2222.

PUBLIC HOSPITAL REPORT CARD The annual AMA Public Hospital Report Card 2021 backed AMA Queensland’s concerns about the State’s hospital system. With current capacity above 100 per cent and elective surgery waiting lists blowing out, there is no room to cope with potential COVID surges.

“Even with dramatically reduced patient volumes last year, our hospitals were still overwhelmed,” Prof Perry said.

“When our borders open and we get inevitable outbreaks of COVID, we are going to see more pressure on our emergency departments.”

“Our capacity is almost always 100 per cent, 100-plus per cent,” Professor Chris Perry told reporters.

“Hospitals can’t cope already.

With a surge with COVID, we’ll be even less able to cope.”

While the Report Card shows Queensland hospitals’ performance has marginally improved over the past few years, these figures cover a time when hospitals were largely shut down due to COVID.

VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws passed Queensland Parliament in September, with lower requirements for participating doctors than VAD schemes in other states.

AMA Queensland Vice President Dr Bav Manoharan told Australian Doctor that the law should have limited participation in the scheme to doctors with at least five years post-fellowship experience, not five years post-graduation.

“While our doctors in training are outstanding future specialists, we do not want to leave them in a position to make decisions that may be beyond their current level of experience,” Dr Manoharan said.

He said this was particularly important given the Queensland

scheme is open to patients with a life expectancy of 12 months. Other states have limited it to six months.

“Twelve months is a big call when asking a doctor to make a decision,” Dr Manoharan said.

“It is vital that all doctors making these decisions have the appropriate experience.”

Dr Manoharan told The Courier-Mail that a survey of AMA Queensland members found overwhelming support for doctors in training to be exempt from participating in the VAD scheme.

“Our survey responders were from all specialties and ages, socially conservative and progressive alike,” he said.

“They are people who see patients getting sick and dying, and want only the best for their patients and their colleagues.”

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Medicinal cannabis There has been increased interest among Australian consumers regarding the use of medicinal cannabis. However, there is limited clinical studies on its efficacy, making it difficult for doctors to find evidence to support decisions to prescribe it.

AMA Queensland does not recommend nor discourage its prescribing, and supports informed decision making for both patients and doctors.

We recently surveyed our members about their views and experiences in prescribing medicinal cannabis. The results so far show that the majority of respondents do not prescribe medicinal cannabis. Of those who do, the majority prescribe it for pain management. The majority believe that the main barriers to prescribing medicinal cannabis is insufficient evidence of its effectiveness and inadequate education material to support it as a proven method to treat certain medical conditions.

Due to the limited clinical data available, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), along with AMA Queensland, encourage doctors who are considering beginning a medicinal cannabis treatment regimen with their patient, to discuss this with a colleague1.

Medical practitioners should take an accurate and thorough history of the patient, including the following.

1.

Presenting symptoms and underlying diagnosis – the symptoms and/ or disease for which the medicinal cannabis product is being considered.

2.

Past medical history – in particular, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and renal disease.

3.

Medication review – treatments that have been tried and have failed; as well as the length of time the treatments were trialled and the reasons for ceasing.

4.

Mental health history – history of mental illness, particularly schizophrenia.

6.

‘At risk’ behaviours associated with drug dependence and substance abuse disorder. While previous cannabis use may not be a contraindication, care should be taken to manage the risk of dependence. Particular attention should be paid to histories of nicotine dependence (may contribute to patient smoking product), alcohol dependence/ abuse, and previous illicit drug use.

7.

Social history – social and family support for the use of a medicinal cannabis product. Consideration should be given to family responsibilities such as caring for young children, child safety, employment (especially where it involves driving or operating machinery), ‘at risk’ living conditions and the risk of falls in older patients.

8.

Physical investigations as appropriate.

5.

Family health history – including mental health, particularly a family history of schizophrenia.

1. T herapeutics Goods Administration, 16 November 2021, Authorised Prescribers, www.tga.gov.au/form/authorised-prescribers

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QUEENSLAND YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR: DR TAHNEE BRIDSON 29 YEARS OLD, PGY4 PSYCHIATRIC REGISTRAR

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PHOTO CRE DIT: @SA LT Y DINGO

As a six-year-old growing up in Mareeba, Dr Tahnee Bridson looked up to the town’s doctors so much that she dressed up as them and carried little notebooks with her to write pretend case notes.

Almost 20 years later, she was a medical student preparing for her final exams when one of those mentors, her family GP, died by suicide.

The tragedy stunned the town and sent Tahnee down a road that would lead to her being named Queensland’s Young Australian of the Year for 2022 for her work in wellbeing support for health care workers.

“His death was a really big shock, not just to anyone who had worked with him, but the entire town was shaken,” Tahnee, 29, told Doctor Q.

So you have to figure out well, where do I go if I’m scared to speak to my colleagues, or if I want privacy?”

Tahnee said.

“And there is a fear of mandatory reporting to Ahpra (the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency).

People still get really worried that they’re going to get reported just for saying they’re anxious. But sometimes treating doctors aren’t fully aware of the Ahpra reporting criteria, and people do report them for things like that.

And then it just perpetuates this cycle.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic started, the increasing levels of stress on health care workers became apparent.

Images of over-worked, fatigued and distressed doctors and nurses in hospitals across Europe and the United States flooded television screens and social media channels.

“I think what surprised me the most was that everyone just forgot that they were a person too, that no one thought to ask the doctor if they were okay or even thought that was a possibility.

“We were seeing the videos and the news stories of health care workers sleeping in corridors. And then there was a new story of an emergency doctor in New York who died by suicide. And COVID hadn’t hit us yet,” Tahnee said.

“And I also had some of my own struggles. Doctors and health care workers are obsessive, perfectionistic people, and we can be highly strung and anxious. That’s why we care so much about what we do, but it also has an impact on us.”

“I messaged a few colleagues and said, ‘Hey, I’m just thinking, do you think we should do something to look after and support health care workers here?’

No-one had really thought yet about what COVID might do to the health care workers.”

Realising there were limited resources to help health care workers with their mental wellbeing, Tahnee became interested in psychiatry as a profession.

As an intern at Cairns Hospital, she took on the role of wellbeing officer for the Resident Medical Officer Society, and began a Wellbeing Week.

Tahnee and a few interested colleagues started a WhatsApp chat and called it Hand-n-Hand (Helping Australian and New Zealand Nurses and Doctors).

The name stuck, and four of them made a Facebook page. The next morning, Tahnee woke to find that 400 people had signed up overnight.

She’d done an elective with Orygen Youth Services and, although she’d never met Professor Patrick McGorry, cold-called him to see if he wanted to be involved. The mental health leader flew to Far North Queensland to take part.

Today, Hand-n-Hand has about 2,500 members across Australia and New Zealand, including about 20 volunteers who do administrative, marketing, social media and triaging work in their spare time, and 200 who provide confidential wellbeing advice and support one-toone and in support groups.

Wellbeing Week, with events held at health care sites across the Cairns region, highlighted the struggles facing doctors and other health care workers in finding help for wellbeing issues, particularly in small towns and remote areas.

“Depending on where you work, it can be really difficult to access help. For instance, in Mareeba, the GPs or the health care workers you would go to for your own needs are your colleagues.

“COVID has been really crappy, but in some ways it’s allowed us to actually make the needs of health care workers known and allowed me to actually get this idea off the ground,” Tahnee said.

Hand-n-Hand is still a completely volunteer movement, with no funding or sponsorship.

“We’re all volunteers, we all work full-time jobs at the same time, and it’s been a really hard 18 months,” she said.

“So, as much as I’m in shock and still feel like an impostor, if there’s one good thing that can come out of getting this award, it would be that we could get some financial support and business support, because we’re still not reaching everyone. There’s lots of people in more isolated areas of practice, or in primary care in rural Australia that that wouldn’t know about us because we’re not reaching all the different niches of advertising.

“If we had funding, and we had back of house support, and we had actual staff on hand, then we would be able to do that.”

Tahnee, an AMA Queensland member, is currently based in Victoria, where she is doing a PhD with Orygen.

Her parents accepted her award on her behalf. National winners will be announced in Canberra on Australia Day eve.

“I’d love to give credit to the entire Hand-n-Hand team, because we couldn’t do it without them. I’m very grateful to everyone and their enthusiasm to do this and to keep it going and to run with me, a junior health care worker, as the founder, is really, really lovely. I’m so grateful that they all trusted me. In particular, I would definitely thank Professor Brett McDermott and Dr Kim Jenkins and Dr Karen Allen who have been there from the beginning.”

You can contact Hand-n-Hand here handnhand.org.au

Hand-n-Hand Peer Support

“If COVID hadn’t happened, it would have been a lot harder to do, which is really sad. I think it’s the first time that everyone’s recognised the struggles that health care workers are going through.”

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navigating QScript QScript is a read-only prescription monitoring system that is intended to help health practitioners identify high-risk clinical situations and assist them to manage their patients.

The aim of QScript is to reduce the intentional and unintentional harms caused by monitored medicines.

Doctors are required to check QScript and incorporate the information into their clinical decision making:

Despite AMA Queensland being supportive of the intent of the QScript legislation, there has been an unprecedented level of negative feedback from members and some specialist groups (including the Australian Society of Anaesthetists) around technical issues logging into QScript and on non-compliance notices for failing to log-in.

Doctors are not required to check QScript prior to:

JOIN THE C O N V E R S AT I O N O N

prior to prescribing a monitored medicine to be dispensed (i.e. by a pharmacist); or

when giving a treatment dose (i.e. where it is intended for the dose to be taken at a later time).

prescribing a monitored medicine, on a hospital medication chart, for administration to a patient in one of our hospitals, unless it is clinically indicated in the individual patient’s circumstances; or

administering a monitored medication to a patient in our hospitals (i.e. in theatre or in the intensive care unit) unless it is clinically indicated in the circumstances.

Queensland Health has also indicated that during the first 12 months of the implementation of the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (MPA) and regulations, the Department’s intention is to engage and support doctors to enrol and access the system.

Any regulatory action will be focused on community-based providers and people who repeatedly, over time, fail to engage and/or refuse to access the system. In-hospital prescribing is not able to be monitored in QScript.

AMA Queensland has been raising members’ concerns with Queensland Health and advocating for IT and log-in improvements to QScript. In addition, we are urging Queensland Health to clearly communicate with doctors regarding non-compliance. We will continue to monitor and pursue this matter with Queensland Health and represent members’ concerns.

Queensland Doctors’ Community (QDC) is AMA Queensland’s member-only, real-time online platform where members drive the agenda.

Visit community.amaq.com.au

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q

19

workplacerelations@amaq.com.au (07) 3872 2222

Workplace Relations team – here to help AMA Queensland’s Workplace Relations Team can help your practice with everything from rates of pay and compliance to employment contracts, calculating entitlements, settling disputes and workplace training. The team offers the same great phone and email service as part of your membership, but can offer more as part of our reworked Workplace Relations Toolkit and Workplace Relations Consultancy.

Workplace Relations Support

AMA Queensland membership offers information and guidance general advice to our employer members relating to a range of workplace relations matters including, but not limited to:

 employee entitlements and compliance;

 minimum rates of pay;  interpretation of the modern

awards covering medical private practices such as hours of work, allowances payable and the Fair Work Act 2009;

 unlawful discrimination, sexual

harassment and workplace bullying;

20 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

JA ADEN MORRALL Workplace Relations Manager

EMMA TREHERNE WR and HR Consultant

 managing employee performance and conduct;

 redundancy;  termination of employment;  COVID-19 management in the workplace;

 workplace interpersonal conflicts;  recruitment-related matters;  contracts of employment;  workplace policies;  work health and safety; and  Australian privacy law guidance relating to health information and medical records.

+ Private Practice Webinar Series

Workplace Relations Toolkit

– a series of webinars conducted throughout the year on topical private practice issues including legislation changes, human resources considerations, and more for employees covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020, the Nurses Award 2020 and employee doctors

+ Prepare employment contracts

and agreements ready for signing

+ Calculate entitlements to ensure + Deed of Confidentiality for employees

+ Workplace relations enews and

alerts with practical guidance on topical workplace relations and human resources issues, plus relevant legislative updates

WORK PL ACE REL ATIONS

Workplace Relations Consultancy Workplace Relations Consultancy is here to help when you need tailored or urgent workplace relations and human resources support. Here are just some of the matters our team can help with on a fee-for-service basis.

subscription, which includes a monthly enews, post nominals and event discounts

+ Free attendance to AMA Queensland Workplace Relations in-person seminars and conferences

+ Employment Contract Templates

employee’s remain better off overall under specific agreements

The Workplace Relations Toolkit is a 12-month subscription where subscribers can access up-to-date resources and templates specific to the medical industry. Here is an overview of the resources available.

+ Practice Manager Affiliate

Change management and restructuring Conducting workplace investigations; Support with performance counselling employees Managing ill and injured employees Representation in dismissalrelated applications in the Fair Work Commission, and employee complaints to the discrimination commissions Training in work health and safety, leadership, performance management and privacy compliance

+ Workplace Relations Manuals

including: The Employee Handbook (workplace policies);

The Employer Manual (Fair work and Modern Award compliance advice); and

Starting and Working in Private Practice (practical advice on operating a private medical practice)

+ Long Service Leave Calculations * each individual service/resource can be purchased separately

HUM A N RESOURCES Temporary human resources management for a specific period, project, or an ongoing basis Review of, and improvement upon, your current human resources systems, processes, policies and procedures Reward and recognition of employees, performance development planning Pay negotiations and performance appraisals Recruitment and selection

Managing leave and reducing practice leave liabilities Pay compliance audits and strategic, compliant rostering

AMA Queensland’s Workplace Relations Team comprises experts in workplace relations, human resources and industrial relations. Contact the team today to discuss which support works best for your practice.

Phone: (07) 3872 2222 Email: workplacerelations@amaq.com.au

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q

21

2021 Resident Hospital Health Check

In 2021, AMA Queensland and its Council of Doctors in Training, in collaboration with ASMOFQ (Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland), surveyed Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) throughout Queensland. The survey evaluated their experiences of employment in Queensland and subsequently compared hospitals across the state. Results were reported for a total of 808 junior doctors across 21 hospitals and Hospital and Health Services (HHSs).

This was the sixth consecutive year for the survey and was designed to be similar to previous years so that results could be compared.

Major breakdown among full sample LE AV E Of the total sample, 59 per cent were satisfied their leave preferences were taken into consideration, which was slightly lower than 2020 (62 per cent) and 2019 (64 per cent).

PROFESSION A L/CA REER DE V ELOPMENT In total, 36 per cent had applied for professional development leave (PDL), which represents an eight per cent increase in trainees applying for PDL compared with 2020 and is similar with the 2019 figure (38 per cent). Among those who applied, leave was granted to 22 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

79 per cent of applicants, which appears to have been steadily growing from 77 per cent and 73 per cent in 2020 and 2019 respectively. Further, 52 per cent and 32 per cent were satisfied that their clinical rotation preferences had been accommodated, and with opportunities to be involved in research and auditing (this is compared with 51 per cent and 33 per cent respectively in 2020).

PAY A ND OV ERTIME Among the full sample, a total of 24 per cent of respondents reported not being fully paid for claimed overtime, which was steady when compared with 2020. Further, 25 per cent reported that they had been advised not to claim overtime payment by an administrative officer or a more senior medical officer and 25 per cent also believed doing so would lead to a negative assessment (holding steady with 27 per cent on both questions in 2020).

WELLBEING A ND WORK PL ACE CULTURE Importantly, 30 per cent of respondents reported that they had felt unsafe at work, which appears to be trending up from 27 per cent in 2020 and 22 per cent in 2019, and 51 per cent reported that they had been concerned about making a clinical error due to fatigue related to long work hours. Less than half of respondents were satisfied with the hospital facilities (43 per cent) and the quality of the teaching and training (46 per cent) on offer, with the former appearing to trend down from 47 per cent in 2020 and 57 per cent in 2019.

BULLYING, DISCRIMIN ATION A ND H A R ASSMENT Overall, 34 per cent experienced bullying/discrimination/harassment, with a further 17 per cent witnessing

one or more of these behaviours.

The percentage who experienced bullying/discrimination/harassment in 2021 was steady with 2020 and 2019 (34 per cent and 33 per cent respectively). Only 34 per cent of respondents who reported these behaviours felt they had been addressed appropriately, which was much lower than 2020 (65 per cent) and 2019 (46 per cent), and 71 per cent were concerned that reporting the matter might lead to negative consequences (down from 77 per cent in 2020).

We will lobby for improvements to RMO working conditions and entitlements in the upcoming MOCA 6 negotiations in 2022.

Further information If you would like to discuss any aspect of the Resident Hospital Health Check in detail, please email membership@amaq.com.au.

ASMOFQ also provides confidential, assured industrial relations advice to members on employment terms and conditions, or any industrial matter that may be causing you concern.

Contact the team on (07) 3872 2222 or asmofq@amaq.com.au.

Find out how your hospital scored qld.ama.com.au/advocacy/ resident-hospital-health-check

TOP 6 PRIORITIES IN QUEENSLAND The following are the six highest ranked issues in order of priority.

1. C linical rotation

2. A nnual leave

preferences

28%

process

Clinical rotation preferences was rated the most important (54 per cent ranked it as most important). Overall, 52 per cent were quite or extremely satisfied with clinical rotation, which was steady with 51 per cent in 2020, but down from 56 per cent in 2019.

52%

11%

31%

19% 11%

quite or extremely satisfied d d isfied isfied isfied tisfie tisfie ll sat ightly sat rately sat ite sa remely sa u q l e e s d ext wer were were mo were

at a e not

wer

3. Personal safety

4. Being appropriately paid for unrostered overtime 24%

30% felt their safety had been compromised at work.

76%

DID NOT

G0T PAID

ALL

GET PAID CORRECTLY

for claimed

the overtime they claimed

overtime 51%

15%

5.

Working a 72-hour week

extremely satisfied

31%

quite satisfied

19%

6.

Residency education programs had been concerned that fatigue caused by long hours may cause clinical error.

Grades were derived by firstly estimating the adjusted rate of the observed number of affirmative responses using a risk adjusted model for gender, training level and country of graduation (logistic regression run in the full sample), separately for each question and hospital/ HHS. Adjusted rates were then averaged across each domain (with rates of negative outcome subtracted from 1 so that all rates reflected positive outcomes) and assigned a grade ranging from E- to A+. Grades were assigned by giving the middle score (i.e., C) to average scores falling between 0.4375-0.5625, with grades increasing or decreasing with each 0.0625 increase or decrease in the score. The overall grade was

moderately satisfied

17%

slightly satisfied

8%

not at all satisfied with teaching and training opportunities

did not have adequate breaks between shifts (up from 13% in 2020 and 2019).

Statistical disclaimer

29%

the average of each domain specific grade. Lastly, the overall raw percentage of responses for each question in 2021 were compared with the same question in 2020, with improvement (>=5per cent improvement), no change or worsening (<=5per cent worse) indicated by green, yellow and red traffic lights respectively.

Comparison of results among hospitals/HSSs must be made with caution, as the survey did not involve a probabilistic sampling frame, but instead was open to the entire Queensland RMO population, achieving a response rate of 33 per cent. Further, as RMOs were not randomly allocated to hospitals differences in attitudes and expectations of respondents cannot be adequately controlled.

This introduces biases into the results which cannot be accounted for. Thus, all differences among hospital/HHSs should be interpreted as specific only to the survey respondents and must not be interpreted as representative of the experiences of all junior doctors in Queensland.

Before relying on the information contained in the survey results provided, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, personal objectives and career goals, and should make their own enquiries, including consulting with the relevant hospital/HHS and staff. All analyses and reporting of results were undertaken by an independent statistician with a background in medical research.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 23

WHAT HAS AMA QUEENSLAND DONE FOR YOU THIS YEAR? In 2021, we continued to face unparalleled pressures in the health care sector. We quickly rose to the challenges and responded to our members’ needs and helped doctors navigate the complexities of the COVID-19 crisis. Here is an overview of our achievements for members in 2021.

DR S N ATA SH A A BE YSE KE R A, ROB N AY E R, A LE X M A RK W E LL A N D SI VA SE NTH U R A N

>575 discussions on Queensland Doctors’ Community, our online member platform, where you lead the conversation, connect with other doctors and let us know what is important to you Held the ever-popular networking event Women in Medicine Breakfast with three eminent female doctor members Hosted the sixth annual Junior Doctor Conference in Townsville, an important event for junior doctors and medical students to engage and be inspired Celebrated the medical profession at the Dinner for the Profession Held In Conversation live sessions with:

Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM

former Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young

Palliative Care Queensland CEO Shyla Mills

Drs Ian Williams and Richard Kidd on aged care reforms

Drs Jennifer Schafer and Ira van der Steenstraten on doctors’ health

Powerful media voice >760 media mentions, 35.2M accumulated audience Influenced government and led the conversation Ensured our members’ voices were heard, nationally, locally and in the workplace

COVID-19 support Successfully lobbied for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for all health workers in public and private sectors Advocated for a clear roadmap out of COVID from the Queensland Government Secured a border bubble for health care workers as essential workers

Strong member engagement >6.2K touchpoints providing help and information for our members 24 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

Ensured GPs were the backbone of the COVID-19 vaccine program Lobbied for fair payments for GPs in the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines including longer consultations and aged care visits

Pushed for greater resources to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to the 5-11 year old age group when announced by ATAGI Attained better access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for GPs in COVID-19 hot spots and will continue to lobby for fit testing for all Queensland GPs and their staff Obtained telehealth provisions for GPs in COVID-19 hot spots Achieved the no fault compensation vaccine indemnity scheme Represented GPs concerns at the weekly meeting of the State Health Emergency Coordination Centre and at equivalent federal meetings Pushed for greater resources for GPs caring for COVID positive patients, recognising the inadequacy of the $25 fee

Supporting doctors’ mental health and wellbeing Helped doctors facing unprecedented levels of mental and physical strain Ran the Self-Care September and Every Dr Needs a GP campaigns to raise awareness of the challenges facing doctors and provided our members with help and support Lobbied the State Government for $2M to support doctors’ mental health with effective wellbeing programs including the private sector Delivered 54 Wellbeing at Work sessions at 21 hospitals for 837 interns giving them the right tools and strategies at the start of their medical careers

DR SA R A H COLL, PROF CH RIS PE RRY OA M, DR S M A RIA BOU LTON A N D MICH A E L CLE M E NT S, A/PROF G EOFF H AWSON

Workplace relations expertise

Successfully lobbied for the appropriate provision of PPE for our members

Convened an emergency department Ramping Roundtable to address hospital access block

Ran a dispute against Queensland Health in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) which resulted in proper P2/N95 fit-testing across all HHSs

Expanded funded prevocational GP training placements in rural areas

> 1.4K private practice member engagements providing workplace relations information and guidance

Advocated for accountability and transparency of all Hospital and Health Services (HHSs)

Worked with The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists to advocate for the care of patients with mental health issues including addressing long wait lists and funding inadequacies

Provided members with free access to the AMA Fees list for costing assistance and guidance

Represented members at several hospital reviews, pushing for transparency and natural justice

Provided feedback from our members on the implementation of QScript

Raised awareness of the issues facing your workforce and patients’ health care

Achieved pay equity for Rural Generalists working in rural hospitals

Successfully lobbied for an Office of Hospital Sustainability

Commenced negotiations with Queensland Health to find a solution for specialists affected by recent changes in Medicare billing

Improved the situation for Bonded Medical Program doctors

Provided workplace relations webinars on key topics including leave essentials, mental health in the workplace, employment termination, Work, Health and Safety requirements as well as complaints and grievance management Delivered targeted workplace webinars covering numerous issues including COVID-19 implications for practices and health care workers Supported practice owners to implement mandatory COVID-19 vaccines in the workplace

Industrial relations wins – ASMOFQ

Achieved several outcomes for Visiting Medical Officers (VMOs) including reactivating the VMO committee, secured equitable pay rises in line with other public hospital doctors, obtained access to the QIRC for VMOs and successfully lobbied for VMOs to be included in Medical Officers’ Certified Agreement 6 (MOCA 6) Conducted the sixth Resident Hospital Health Check, which evaluates employment conditions for Queensland doctors in training and compares hospitals across the state

Spearheaded a proposal for a new step down registration category for senior doctors as they move towards retirement Lobbied for >$1.65B of health funding in the State Budget to address key priorities for patients and doctors.

Provided extensive input into the prostheses list reform Argued against managed care in the form of the nib Honeysuckle deal before the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Successfully lobbied Ahpra to support the identification and management of vexatious notifications Provided feedback to the Senate Committee to ensure the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme is transparent, efficient and fair

Policy success

>6K member engagements with ASMOFQ (Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland)

Provided the evidence, briefings and reports that delivered positive change for doctors

Negotiated on your behalf and supported members in public hospital industrial matters

Worked with local and state government to improve health care policy

Secured five per cent pay rise for Queensland Health-employed doctors

Represented our members’ view in Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation

Published the national report Public hospitals: Cycle of Crisis Card with analysis on the performance of hospitals throughout Australia including Queensland Released the annual Private Health Insurance Report Card 2021 and Prescription for Private Health Insurance to hold private health insurance companies to account

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 25

DR MARIA B O U LT O N

General Practitioner, AMA Queensland Board member and Chair, Council of General Practice

CGP update The purpose of the AMA Queensland Council of General Practice (CGP) is to formulate policy, drive medicopolitical change and provide timely advice to the association in the area of general practice. Chaired by Dr Maria Boulton and comprising 16 GPs from throughout the state, CGP reports to AMA Queensland Council on emerging issues in the area of General Practice.

IN 2021, A M AQCGP PROVIDED A DVICE TO A M A QUEENSL A ND COUNCIL ON THE FOLLOWING M AT TERS:

GP Alliance

Medicinal Cannabis

AMA Queensland Budget submission

Changes to the Medicines and Poisons Act (2019)

Wellness for doctors

The Royal Commission into Aged Care

Long waiting lists for patients to receive help for mental health – Psychiatrists

E-cigarettes/vaping products

Voluntary Assisted Dying

QScript

COVID-19

Digital health

i. GP involvement in COVID-19 vaccination roll-out

Improving clinical handover from hospitals to GPs

ii. Increase in mental health presentations during COVID

MBS review into specialist services

Respect for patients and colleagues, standards of care, clinical research and teaching, the dying patient, professional conduct and complaints, the doctor’s role in society, and all health related matters;

iii. Involvement of GP in RACF

Opioid misuse

Consequences for the medical profession of existing or proposed legislation; and

vii. Mass vaccination clinics

Perceived or anticipated legal consequences for the medical profession, or potentially impacting health outcomes, or any other information drawn to the attention of the Committee.

x. Indemnity for COVID providers

A M A QUEENSL A ND CGP FOCUSES ON M AT TERS OF CONCERN IN REL ATION TO:

iv. Access to PPE v. Credentialing – particularly regionally vi. Fit testing of masks viii. Vaccine supply ix. Remuneration for GP’s xi. COVID in the community xii. Hotel Quarantine xiii. Clear messaging for the public

Telehealth becoming permanent

Real time reporting

Pain Management Services

AMA Queensland CGP Work plan - Improved models of care for maternity services, older people, Indigenous health, mental health and improved access to specialist information for GPs

Development of a media campaign focusing on the value of the GP.

If you would like to contact CGP, please email Jeff Allen at j.allen@amaq.com.au or call (07) 3872 2222.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 27

Dr Gert Tollesson

FRACS

ADULT AND PAEDIATRIC BRAIN AND SPINAL NEUROSURGEON

re to “Offering excellent patient ca stralia” adults and children across Au BRAIN AND SPINE SURGERY QUEENSLAND (BSSQ) Watkins Medical Centre Level 10, 225 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill QLD 4001 P: (07) 3870 3708

W: www.bssq.com.au

F: (07) 3236 9555

E: admin@bssq.com.au

Office hours 8.30am to 4.30pm After hours acute referrals please phone 0417 791 407 Consulting at Spring Hill, Brisbane and Rockhampton

Beyond every cloud, there is always blue sky.

Our members can focus on today, knowing their future is safe with us.

Visit QSuper.com.au today Product issued by the QSuper Board (ABN 32 125 059 006, AFSL 489650) as trustee for QSuper (ABN 60 905 115 063).

Consider the PDS on our website to see whether QSuper is right for you. © QSuper Board

28 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

D R N ATA S H A ABEYSEKERA

Co-Chair, AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training

council of Doctors in Training update It’s been a crazy few months for the AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training (CDT).

The first ever Self Care September was a great success. Your shared experiences about self-care activities were inspiring.

However, we need to remember that while awareness is an important message, continued and improved action to address and support the mental health of our doctors in training is critical. Our lives are more than our jobs and we all deserve to be happy and healthy.

CDT has continued to engage and support members in hospitals across Australia to address concerns. We continually liaise with the ASMOFQ (Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland) team to help our members and encourage you to raise your issues and concerns. Best points of contact include the AMA Queensland Membership Manager Leigh Holohan, your hospital representatives and ourselves as Co-Chairs of CDT.

The Resident Hospital Health Check has wrapped up for another year.

We have had an even better response than previous years and a snapshot of the results is on p22. Every year this data is analysed and used to improve the wellbeing of our doctors in training across Queensland. A big thank you to everyone who completed the survey – your contributions are priceless!

CDT is wrapping up for 2021 but we still have some exciting projects on the go. Our Rural Site Survey will be coming out in the New Year and has been designed by the fantastic Rural Remote Portfolio to assess how AMA Queensland can better support our doctors in training at rural locations. Dr Hannah Gribbin, one of our inspiring Policy and Advocacy leads, continues to develop and draft action for a Queensland Doctors in Training Sustainability Group.

If you are interested in engaging in activity with CDT, please contact us at cdt@amaq.com.au. Additionally, elections for 2022 are not far away – if you have ever considered being involved with AMA Queensland or want to know more about a position, please contact us and we’d be very happy to answer any questions!

D R R O B E R T N AY E R

Co-Chair, AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training

Save the date Junior doctor events 26 M A RCH 2022

AMA Queensland will host a Careers Expo with most colleges in attendance.

7 M AY 2022

AMA Queensland will partner with the Clinical Skills Development Service for junior doctors to learn hands-on skills.

JULY A ND AUGUST 2022

The Junior Doctor Conference will take place in Cairns in July and the Gold Coast in August.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 29

GENERAL PRACTICE FOR SALE Morayfield Rd, Caboolture South Two consulting rooms and two treatment rooms.

Please contact Dr Bernard Gerber on (07) 5495 3792.

Wanted – Mature GP wishing to downsize and share comfortable rooms opposite RBWH at reasonable rate with secure car park. Share with psychiatrist working 2 days a week seeing primarily Clopine patients.

Want a discount on your membership rate for 1 year?

REFER A MEMBER TODAY 30 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

Phone Kevin on 0419 795 075 to discuss further.

REFER 1 MEMBER

REFER 3 MEMBERS

REFER 2 MEMBERS

REFER 4 MEMBERS

25% discount

50% discount

75% discount

100% discount

workplacerelations@amaq.com.au (07) 3872 2222

JA ADEN MORRALL Workplace Relations Manager

Recognition and reward EMMA TREHERNE WR and HR Consultant

Recognising and rewarding the efforts of employees not only acknowledges the employee’s hard work, but also motivates them to continue.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on many so it comes as no surprise that burnout in health care industry employees has skyrocketed. Burnout is a form of exhaustion, caused by extreme and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress, particularly within the workplace.

Burnout can cause employees to become:

emotionally and physically exhausted;

disconnected from their job or their family; and/or

or feel less effective.

Importantly, each component of burnout is interconnected. It is also difficult to be completely engaged when experiencing exhaustion, which can undermine employee effectiveness and morale.

Consequently, as an employee’s effectiveness and morale declines, it can place great pressures on employers due to high work demands.

The pandemic has also placed financial pressures on small businesses, contributing to higher exhaustion and stress levels for employees.

Through recognition and reward, employers and managers can strive to reduce burnout affecting the wellbeing and efficiency of employees.

Each employee in the workplace may feel appreciated or be motivated by different forms of reward and/ or recognition, so it is important to understand what makes your employees feel valued, and what makes them tick.

As COVID-19 has significantly affected the finances of small businesses, we have put together a list of both monetary and non-monetary ways to recognise and reward your employees’ efforts.

Monetary rewards or recognition for employees may include:

pay increases;

taking your employees out to lunch, or providing them with a morning tea;

taking your employees on a company sponsored outing e.g. to a yoga retreat or to play mini golf;

giving an employee a gift card; and/or

offering learning and development opportunities to employees for them to grow as individuals.

encouraging and promoting peer-to-peer recognition to build engagement; and

providing employees with flexible working options (if you can accommodate them as a practice).

Recognising and rewarding employees, in a monetary way or not, can lead to a variety of benefits in the workplace, such as:

increased employee productivity and engagement;

decreased employee turnover;

increased sense of belonging;

improved workplace culture;

building a sense of engagement in the workplace;

Non-monetary rewards or recognition for employees may include:

increased employee morale; and

sending an employee a thoughtful email recognising their efforts;

If you have any questions or would like more advice on recognising and rewarding employees, reducing employee burnout or any other workplace matter, please reach out to our Workplace Relations Team on (07) 3872 2222 or at workplacerelations@amaq.com.au.

expressing a simple thank you to an employee when you see them;

giving shout-outs to employees e.g. through an ‘Employee of the month’ wall;

decreased stress and absenteeism.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q

31

So you want to be a locum?

Want some extra pocket money?

Looking to broaden your skillset in a new hospital system or in a different specialty? Work on your own schedule, as a ‘place holder’ doctor – as the Latin origin of the word ‘locum tenens’ would suggest.

Locuming can be a daunting task to junior doctors with many often struggling to know where to start, who to contact, and how to schedule it into our busy lives. This article discusses the benefits of locuming, tips on how to choose the best locum agency, and what to start thinking about before planning your first locum experience.

From being paid to travel while working clinically to boosting your resume, there are numerous benefits to working as a locum. First and foremost, it offers an easy way to gain exposure to a different hospital environment, with different patients and colleagues – allowing you to practise outside of your own comfort zone and learn the intricacies of working in regions across the country.

This is especially fruitful for those in their early postgraduate years to test drive potential career options from emergency medicine to paediatrics to general medicine and radiology.

Council of Doctors in Training, Communications Portfolio

Personally, I find it useful to subscribe to a number of agencies’ job lists so you have constant updates regarding potential roles that may meet your requirements i.e. postgraduate level, specialty, locations and time.

It’s no secret that locum work pays well. It would not be unreasonable for a resident to earn three to four times their usual full-time pay (based on the hourly rate). These figures also seem to rise exponentially as you become more senior. Higher rates are typically commanded by general surgery and emergency medicine trainees compared to those in general practice.

So where to from here?

Finally, locum tenens offers incomparable flexibility over your working hours. You are in complete control of the shifts you are rostered.

You can decline or leave jobs at the drop of a hat if it is not to your liking or your conditions have not been met. Although, you should talk with your locum agency prior to making such decisions.

Determine what hourly rate you would be happy to accept and how many hours you would like to work during your time away.

This brings us to the final piece of the puzzle – your locum agency.

The agency you choose can make or break your experience. They are tasked with finding a suitable role for you and advocating on your behalf to your potential employers. Word-of-mouth is a great place to start to find yourself an organisation that shares your values and matches your availability.

32 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

DR JOH N WA R D

Junior House Officer, Logan Hospital

1.

Brainstorm specialty ideas, location possibilities and think of when you would want to start in a locum experience.

2.

3.

Research a couple of locum agencies and let them know your preferences and what you’re looking for.

4.

Finally, wait for the offers to come in!

Please note that this is general advice only. AMA Queensland recommends you read the fine print of each contract and discuss it with your medical defence organisation before pursuing any potential employment.

COVID-19 and the Rural Doctor in Training Rural Doctors in Training (DiTs) have largely been able to continue with business as usual in our new COVID world, but not even they have been able to escape compounding barriers to training and overall wellbeing.

Ever since COVID-19 hit the state in 2020, there has been an element of envy for the humble rural DiT in Queensland. Next to no cases most of the time, rare (if any) lock downs, no constant mask-wearing at work for months at a time; what a life!

To a large extent, this is true, and we have been very lucky to largely continue in a business as usual format for the last 12 months. Alas, the shiny picture starts to splinter when you look a little harder, and the cracks reveal ongoing and often distinct difficulties for rural DiTs. While we are all used to no interstate travel for pleasure, the same currently goes for travel for professional development. Gone are the days of travelling for courses and conferences doubling as mini vacations in another city, with DiTs now having to stay local for courses that can only be delivered face-to-face. This leaves the rural DiT as the only one having to travel, incurring more cost for transport and accommodation than their city colleagues, as well as a bigger cut out of their professional development leave to allow for travel time. Tax deductible, yes; but not always affordable at the time. The financial quandary of the rural DiT. Then, there is the moral dilemma.

Often, rural communities are in the fortunate position of having had no cases for many months, unlike their metropolitan counterparts where most training events are held. So, do you put number one first and attend the training but risk exposing your community on your return, or pull out of the course and hinder your career progression in order to pass The Courier Mail test? The ethical predicament of the rural DiT.

DR STEPHANIE CORNISH

AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training, Rural and Remote Portfolio

The same goes for social events.

It’s very hard to justify a trip to town for a friend’s engagement dinner or Grandma’s 80th birthday, or even to simply visit your long-suffering, long-distance partner when there are cases floating around, and you never know which little cluster will lead to the next Delta outbreak and lockdown.

Safer to stay home; the lonely rural DiT. Of course, it is not all doom and gloom. The AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training (CDT) has made great steps, for example hosting this year’s Junior Doctor Conference in Townsville. The next stage in the face of progressively lightening restrictions but an increasingly uncertain future will be for colleges and employers to come to the party and equalise access to opportunities, for instance running courses in large rural centres like Cairns, Townsville and Toowoomba, and considering offering additional leave allowances for travel within the same state but over a set distance.

The options are endless, and we are happy to come to the table; the ever-hopeful rural DiT.

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asmofq@amaq.com.au asmofq.org.au

Catching up with ASMOFQ Culture and data are key to hospital safety Gaps in culture and data were found in the Independent Governance Review into the Caboolture Hospital released in early November.

ASMOFQ (Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland) worked with doctors and the Metro North Hospital and Health Service (HHS) to ensure our members’ concerns were addressed in the review process.

We welcome the findings and the 19 recommendations, and note that no individual doctor was found to be at fault in the report.

We call on the Metro North HHS to swiftly implement these recommendations to address the operational and cultural issues at 34 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

QScript As you are most likely aware, QScript (real-time prescription monitoring system) went live at the end of September 2021.

Caboolture Hospital, which have also been confirmed by our members.

Importantly, ASMOFQ believes a strong, healthy organisational culture is vital to ensure doctors can provide care to their patients with the highest levels of quality and safety.

In addition, accurate data and transparent reporting which have driven improvements in other HHSs need to be a key area of focus here as well.

Finally, we also welcome and acknowledge Metro North HHS’s openness and transparency throughout this review process, and ASMOFQ will continue to advocate for transparency, as well as fairness and thoroughness, in all hospital reviews that occur within Queensland Health.

If you have concerns about the Caboolture Hospital review, or any other hospital review currently occurring in Queensland, we urge you to contact ASMOFQ so we can assist you.

Under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019, it is now mandatory for a doctor to access QScript every time they prescribe a monitored medication for a patient, such as opioids and benzodiazepines. Penalties can apply for non-compliance.

QScript was intended to increase safety of these medications in the community and has merit in this context and at hospital discharge. However, this is not the case for in-hospital prescribing.

In Victoria and NSW, there is no mandatory legal requirement to access their monitored medicine database for prescribing these medications for patients in hospital. A recent Deloitte report concluded that ‘imposing a blanket regulatory burden in these environments would introduce unnecessary costs that would be unlikely to provide any benefit’.

ASMOFQ is aware that many doctors are frustrated with the current lack of any exemption for in-hospital prescribing. We will continue to fight for this exemption on behalf of our members, and we will keep you updated with our progress.

D R H A U TA N

ASMOFQ President

JOHN COSGROVE

ASMOFQ Chief Industrial Advocate 0417 972 038 asmofqld@asmof.org.au

What is MOCA? MOCA 5 is the Medical Officers’ Certified Agreement, which contains all the entitlements and conditions of employment for over 10,000 junior and senior doctors who work for Queensland Health.

It will expire in just over six months on 30 June 2022.

ASMOFQ will begin negotiating a new agreement with Queensland Health with meetings set to begin in January 2022.

As the MOCA is your employment contract with Queensland Health, it is important to have expert industrial staff to negotiate on your behalf and to get it right.

If you had to negotiate an individual contract by yourself against a huge employer such as Queensland Health, you would undoubtedly be at a tremendous disadvantage.

In 2013-14, the Newman Government forced doctors from a certified agreement (MOCA 3) to individual contracts, which were unfair and left doctors with poorer workplace protections and conditions. With a change in government, doctors reverted to being employed under a certified agreement, MOCA 4 in 2015, and subsequently MOCA 5, the current agreement.

Only a union such as ASMOFQ can sign a MOCA with Queensland Health on behalf of doctors. These are the steps in the long and arduous process that we undertake.

Build a log of claims together with our members with the changes we are seeking to achieve in MOCA 6.

Start the formal negotiating process with Queensland Health.

Every day, ASMOFQ represents Queensland doctors – standing up for your workplace rights, maintaining and enhancing your working conditions, supporting you in times of need and broadly advancing the medical profession in the state of Queensland.

Continue to negotiate until we reach an in-principle agreement of the terms and conditions that should be included in MOCA 6, based on our log of claims.

Once this is complete, the MOCA 6 is put to all doctors to vote on.

A majority vote means that the new MOCA 6 is then accepted.

Providing high quality industrial relations services, such as negotiating certified agreements, is not free.

It costs significant amounts of money, thus the more members we have, the stronger we are as an organisation, and the better we can serve our profession.

By renewing your membership and encouraging colleagues to join, you give us a powerful voice to fight for fair and reasonable entitlements and conditions at your place of work.

New legal partner Optimum Legal is ASMOFQ’s new legal partner. Optimum Legal is committed to being a go-to for legal advice relating to all aspects of industrial relations and employment law advice for members. From large corporations to individuals, they have the expertise and experience to provide superior legal advice—combined with a favourablefee structure. Members can contact Optimum Legal on 1800 000 625 or info@optimumlegal.com.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 35

DR ALEX MARKWELL

Queensland Clinical Senate Chair and Emergency Physician

Connecting data, not just collecting We collect data at a multitude of points across the patient journey from the moment a patient is triaged in the emergency department or admitted to a ward, through to discharge and beyond.

Collecting data is vital to so many aspects of health care - from resource allocation and improved service delivery, to informing clinical decisionmaking and conversations with patients at the bedside.

But while we collect a plethora of data, we haven’t realised the potential for clinicians to understand what data is available and to improve the way clinicians can access what they need.

The Queensland Clinical Senate hosted a meeting of clinicians, consumers and health care administrators to take a close look at the data we do collect and how we can better use it to improve care and outcomes for patients.

We looked at a number of programs being used in Queensland Health that collect and compare data to inform clinicians about specific areas that could be improved.

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The two programs showcased – Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) – are getting great results and proving how empowering clinicians to leverage data can improve patient care.

The work GIRFT is doing in Queensland, by giving hospitals and health care facilities the opportunity to compare their data to a state average, is making headway. GIRFT has helped to improve infection rates after orthopaedic surgery, and has demonstrated an overall decrease in the number of people aged over 55 having a knee arthroscopy, as well as a reduction in some of the outliers. Knee arthroscopy for patients aged over 55 years can be low value care – this group of patients may progress to a full knee replacement within two years of the initial procedure.

NSQIP aims to improve outcomes for patients after surgery by giving hospitals access to validated, riskadjusted data that enhances their ability to zero in on preventable complications and where they can make improvements.

We also turned our attention to areas where we know we have challenges in collecting the right data, for example the way sex and gender are recorded in our systems. Without the ability to collect relevant data, we are unable to consider health outcomes for our diverse patient populations. This underpins intersectional equity, which we also considered.

‘Intersectional’ refers to the different aspects of a person’s identity, such as sexual orientation, religion and ethnicity, and how these aspects can expose individuals to overlapping forms of discrimination and marginalisation.

On this front, eHealth Queensland is making great progress towards enabling sex and gender to be captured in our systems. This will have a huge impact on the care we provide to consumers who may not align with the traditional binary concept.

While our discussions on how we can better capture and respond to the diversity in our communities were rich, this was very much the start of a conversation that needs a great deal more thought, time and action.

By turning our minds to data–what we collect and how we use it–we are continuing a conversation that is all about enabling clinicians to provide the best care and outcomes for our patients and empowering consumers to make informed choices. It is, most importantly, also about a better patient experience for all Queenslanders.

Doctors’ Health in Queensland Inaugural Annual Wellness Day Doctors’ Health in Queensland (DHQ) celebrated Mental Health Week by holding our inaugural annual Wellness Day on 9 October at Walkabout Creek, The Gap. The Wellness Day was created to nurture our doctors who generously volunteer their time to care for their colleagues. DHQ’s helpline panel is a group of experienced and dedicated general practitioners who provide advice via the 24/7 confidential helpline for Queensland’s doctors and medical students. The panel and guests, all with an interest in doctors’ health, were invited to join us for a combination of relaxation and education, while enjoying the natural environment of Walkabout Creek.

A range of doctors’ health issues were discussed. Dr Lydia Pitcher spoke about doctors’ health from a holistic perspective, with a particular focus on physical and nutritional aspects of health. Physicians need to be both physically and mentally healthy to be able to provide optimum care for patients. Doctors are human, vulnerable and typically very busy, often resulting in reduced self-care and health surveillance. She recommended having your own GP, regular review (not just in a crisis), and ‘keeping your fuel tank full’.

Dr Ira van der Steenstraten’s engaging and entertaining presentation highlighted the benefits of mindfulness as self-care, helping doctors to stay healthy and energised, while enabling them to cope with the inevitable stressors in the health care system.

Ira led a two-minute meditation, demonstrating how brief but regular sessions of mindfulness can be incorporated into a busy schedule.

Dr Emily Shao addressed some of the challenges facing junior doctors, as well as barriers to seeking help.

Stressors include prolonged pathways to access vocational training positions, creating uncertainty of employment and financial stress. Doctors in training are required to study for exams in parallel with working long hours. As young adults, many are also simultaneously juggling careers, partners, children and mortgages. Challenges can be exacerbated by difficult working conditions, further increasing the risk of burnout. She emphasised the need for awareness of the issues, advocacy and a call to action, particularly regarding employment contracts and more effective management of bullying in the workplace.

Dr Warren Ward spoke about the escalating prevalence of eating disorders, with anorexia nervosa having the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

Personality factors that increase the risk of anorexia, including perfectionism, conscientiousness and the ability to defer gratification, which are common in doctors. Dieting is the major risk factor, triggering ‘starvation syndrome’ which causes profound changes to thinking, feelings and behavior.

Other sessions included an update on mandatory reporting, referral pathways for acute psychiatric illness, a review of the helpline experience, and case management discussions.

DR JENNIFER SCHAFER Medical Director, Doctors’ Health in Queensland

NAOMI NEWTON

Program Manager, Doctors’ Health in Queensland

The weather was perfect and Walkabout Creek provided an exquisite environment for our guests to enjoy the exercise and increase their step count.

Thank you to our generous sponsors, RACGP and MIPS, who made this day possible. A special thank you goes to all the wonderful organisers and speakers who contributed their time to create a fantastic day focused on doctors’ wellness. The resoundingly positive feedback encouraged us to schedule the Wellness Day as an annual event.

We look forward to seeing you all again in 2022.

But it was not all work! Zara from Brisbane Yoga Space led a gentle 30-minute session of ‘Chair Yoga’, leaving us all feeling calm, relaxed and with much better posture. Bushwalking was encouraged over the lunch break so that attendees could connect and share experiences with colleagues.

Doctors’ Health in Queensland (DHQ) provides an independent, confidential, colleague to colleague support service for Queensland doctors and medical students.

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Member profile: Dr Hau Tan Specialist Anaesthetist (public and private) and ASMOFQ President Practising medicine for 21 years

The path to medicine was logical, perhaps inevitable, for Dr Hau Tan. His father is a GP who came to Australia from Singapore under the Colombo Plan to study medicine at The University of Queensland. His mother was a nurse.

His brother and sister are also doctors.

While growing up, Hau spent many Saturday mornings and school holidays working at his father’s surgery, routinely interacting with patients. So Hau had no doubts where he was headed when he finished high school.

But his journey into medical leadership was less pre-determined. It began with using some rare free time to read a draft contract for hospital senior doctors, getting involved in what became known as the ‘contracts crisis’ under the Newman Government, and eventually leading to him becoming President of ASMOFQ (Australian Medical Salaried Officers’ Federation Queensland).

“In 2014-15, the Newman Government wanted to force doctors on to individual contracts, and they sent out a draft to all senior medical officers for consultation,” Hau told Doctor Q. “I recall reading the draft contract and feeling utter shock and dismay ... the contract was incredibly unfair and onesided. My first reaction was that there was no way that I could sign this.”

With his colleague and now ASMOFQ Vice President, Dr Chris Turnbull, he sought professional legal advice. When the lawyers confirmed their worst fears about the proposed contracts, they formed a taskforce of senior doctors to fight for a fairer outcome.

“ASMOFQ became part of that taskforce and, as a part of that process, I became a member of ASMOFQ,” Hau said.

“We were able to improve the contracts to a point where it was more acceptable to doctors. Bear in mind that if we hadn’t been able to do that, many senior doctors would have simply resigned en masse, and Queensland’s public hospital system would have been left in a very dark place.”

The Newman Government was voted out and the incoming government committed to putting senior doctors back onto a certified agreement (MOCA 4), as well as reversing the unfair changes to the legislation that had been made. By then, Hau was on the ASMOFQ committee.

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“During this crisis, I realised the immense value of having a strong industrial organisation that could fight for and support doctors, and the medical profession,” Hau said.

“In medicine, prevention is always better than cure, and being proactive in maintaining a fair and stable industrial relations environment is essential. The public hospital system is vital to Queensland and the community, and that has never been more important than now when we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic.

“With the borders opening up soon, we expect a massive increase in ED presentations and hospital admissions. It’s crucial that we prepare and manage the hospital system appropriately to deal with this upcoming surge.

“ASMOFQ is a membership organisation, so we rely on members to be able to operate and function. The more members we have, the stronger we are as an industrial organisation, and the better we can serve our members.”

Likewise, Hau has never regretted his decision to go into medicine.

“What I really enjoy about being a doctor is being able to care for and support patients, particularly in their time of need,” he said.

“It’s a very rewarding career. Yes, there are obviously the tolls that come with the job, such as long hours, stressful clinical situations and being on-call.

But on balance, I love being a doctor, and I love what I do each day.”

ASMOFQ is The Doctors’ Union.

As a salaried medical officer, if you are a member of AMA Queensland, you are also automatically a member of ASMOFQ at no additional cost.

“During the pandemic, we have successfully advocated on behalf of doctors on important health and safety issues such as proper supply of PPE, fit-testing of P2/N95 respirators and mandatory vaccination of health care workers.

“We are no doubt going to encounter more challenges along the way during this pandemic. And it is crucial that doctors and the medical profession are represented properly so that their issues are raised and addressed effectively.”

Despite the extra work and time away from family, Hau has no regrets with being ASMOFQ President.

“We have had some big collective wins this year, but also many wins for individual members with issues such as having their employment threatened, unsafe work conditions or not being able to access their entitlements. We have also taken several matters to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission this year with successful outcomes.

H AU A N D HIS OLDE R BROTH E R, PR AC TISING M E DICIN E FROM A N E A RLY AG E

“Looking forward into next year, we have MOCA 6 negotiations with Queensland Health, and also re-negotiation of the Mater enterprise agreements coming up. We have a large number of matters on the go at the moment, there’s always so much to do in the workplace and industrial relations space, and we are always striving to provide our members with high quality representation, advocacy and support.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 39

Research Round Up Research Review Australia has more than 50,000 health professional subscribers across Australia. They provide clinical research updates and webinars that qualify for CPD points and cover over 50 clinical areas.

Every month they feature 10 handpicked papers from global journals by a local expert. They provide commentary on the impact to everyday practice.

Australian health professionals can sign up at no cost at researchreview.com.au.

Social distancing and physical barriers reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission General Practice Research Review Issue 102 Reviewer: Professor Gerard Gill This systematic review and metaanalysis investigated the effects of physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection on SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

A database search identified 172 observational studies across 16

Do patients with COVID-19 benefit from rehabilitation?

Rehabilitation Research Review Issue 8 Reviewer: Dr Helen Redmond In this French, single-centre, retrospective chart review, researchers assessed the benefits of a brief inpatient rehabilitation program in 100 post-acute care COVID-19 patients (66 per cent men; mean age 66 years).

At admission to the rehabilitation unit, the mean time from symptom onset

countries and six continents (involving 25,697 patients) that were suitable for inclusion. Meta-analysis of the data showed that virus transmission was lower with physical distancing of ≥1m compared with protection increased as distance increased. Use of face masks could result in a large reduction in risk of infection with stronger associations with N95 or similar respirators compared with disposable surgical masks or reusable multi-layer cotton masks. Eye protection also reduced the risk of infection.

“This is the best evidence we have from a study funded by the World Health Organization on the value of physical distancing and respiratory barriers in

was 20.4 days, BMI was 26.0 kg/m2, 49 per cent had hypertension, 29 per cent had diabetes, and 26 per cent had >50 per cent pulmonary damage on CT. Mean length of stay was 9.8 days. From admission to discharge, Barthel Activities of Daily Living Index increased from 77.3 to 88.8 (p < 0.001) but did not recover to baseline values before COVID-19 infection. Sit-to-stand frequency increased by 37 per cent, respiratory rate decreased 13 per cent and grip strength increased 15 per cent.

At admission and discharge, Barthel score was correlated with grip strength (p 0.39-0.66; p < 0.01), which was inversely correlated with time in ICU (p -0.57 to -0.49; p < 0.05).

Current and back issues of Research Reviews can be found at researchreview.com.au. Australian health professionals researchreview.com.au can sign in and download copies.

40 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

preventing the spread of COVID-19 infections. It may now not be useful as the Delta strain and several emerging strains appear to be more readily spread (believed to be due to the higher number of viral particles shed by those infected) and so the effectiveness of these measures which rely on historical data of less contagious strains may not represent the current situation.”

“This French retrospective review of 100 patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation following hospitalisation for COVID-19 took place in a newly created specialised rehabilitation unit in a tertiary care medical centre.

Length of stay averaged 10 days, but Barthel index improved (though not to baseline). Early rehab was successful in functional and motor restoration and improved respiratory function.

Coming to a rehab unit near you soon!”

Local medical Association Round Up REDCLIFFE DISTRICT LOCA L MEDICA L ASSOCIATION (RDLM A) Contact: Web: Phone:

Dr Kimberley Bondeson, President www.redcliffedoctorsmedicalassociation.org (07) 3049 4444

GOLD COAST MEDICA L ASSOCIATION (GCM A) Contact: Web: Email: Phone:

Prof Philip Morris www.gcma.org.au info@gcma.org.au 0419 780 505

SUNSHINE COAST LOCA L MEDICA L ASSOCIATION (SCLM A)

BRISBA NE LOCA L MEDICA L ASSOCIATION (BLM A)

Contact: Web: Email: Phone:

Contact: Web: Phone:

Jo Bourke, Secretariat www.sclma.com.au admin@sclma.com.au (07) 5479 3979

MACK AY LOCAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (MLMA) Contact: Phone:

Dr Bill Boyd 0419 676 660

Dr Robert (Bob) Brown, President www.brisbanelma.org (07) 3265 3111

FR ASER COAST LOCA L MEDICA L ASSOCIATION (FCLM A) Contact: Email: Phone:

Dr Nicholas Yim, Secretary frasercoastlma@gmail.com 0421 659 892

IPSWICH A ND WEST MORE TON MEDICA L ASSOCIATION (IWMM A)

TOOWOOMBA A ND DA RLING DOWNS LOCA L MEDICA L ASSOCIATION (TDDLM A)

Contacts:

Contacts:

Phone:

r David Morgan, President; D Dr David Careless, Vice President; Dr Thomas McEniery, Treasurer (07) 3281 1177

Web: Email: Phone:

r Sally Sojan, President; D Dr Peter Schindler, Treasurer www.tddlma.org info@tddlma.org (07) 4633 1939 Wilsonton Medical Centre (Dr Peter Hopson)

CENTR A L QUEENSL A ND LOCA L MEDICA L ASSOCIATION (CQLM A) Contact: Phone:

Dr Michael Donohue 0419 715 658

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q

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Dr Katharine Georgiana Sinclair MBBS MRCP MRCPCH FRACP 7 NOV EMBER 1961 – 16 OCTOBER 2021 Dr Kate Sinclair was born in London on 7 November 1961 into the loving Sinclair family. Sir George, her father, was a parliamentarian and foreign official married to Jane, a physiotherapist. George came from a poor background in Cornwall, and Jane sadly died when Kate was only 10.

Kate left high school to pursue her passion for horses, where she spent most of her time mucking out cold, wet stables and dealing with an alcoholic boss and little riding. It was enough to scare her back to the shelter of academia. Her passion for horses remained though, with a small herd at her property in Mount Mee and she often had patients and their families visit the farm for fun and respite.

She entered what’s known in England as a sixth form college as a means to graduate high school. In this time, she also started a demanding job in a house looking after adults with Down syndrome. With apparently little study, Kate became one of the only students in her college’s history to gain access to university, certainly the first accepted to Oxford. From here she studied biochemistry, transitioning to medicine, eventually graduating from medicine at the University of New South Wales.

In her role as an advocate for preserving the former Royal Children’s Hospital, she contacted Chris Davis, then AMA Queensland President. The campaign for the Royal Children’s Hospital was lost.

Despite this, Kate managed to come out of this tangle with a husband and four step-children, Sam, Will, Jess and Emma. Kate and Chris challenged each other on an intellectual level, supported each other through various projects and advocacy campaigns, and shared a love of nature and animals on their Mount Mee property.

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It is difficult to separate where Kate’s personal life ends and where her professional one begins. On paper, she was a specialist paediatric neurologist.

But her real specialty lay in forming lasting and meaningful relationships with her patients and their families.

She had an incredible ability to see past disability and take an interest in the person in front of her.

A particular area of focus for Kate was providing care for patients and families affected by Ataxia Telangiectasia, a rare and life limiting disorder of mobility and immunity with no targeted treatments.

She tirelessly offered warmth and solutions in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances such as these.

Kate gave every ounce of her emotional energy to others, frequently giving out personal contact details to families she cared for, not leaving much compassion in reserve for self-love.

The adversity of Kate’s early life served as inspiration for her generosity of spirit, empathetic approach and resilience. Seven years ago, Kate faced her life’s biggest hurdle - losing her daughter Jessica in a car accident.

After the death of her mother, she made a silent resolution ‘to leave the world better than she found it’.

Edited eulogy written by Dr George Lindley-Jones, Dr Sinclair’s son and Intern at Cairns Hospital

AMA Queensland and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland (ASMOFQ) are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Dr Kate Sinclair.

Dr Sinclair was a good friend to Queensland, AMA President Professor Chris Perry said.

“Kate was a formidable intellect and a very good friend,” Prof Perry said.

“She was eminently sensible and will be missed.”

ASMOFQ President Dr Hau Tan said Dr Sinclair was a valued member of the ASMOFQ State Management Committee, on which she served for several years and shared her bright energy and joy.

“She was a dedicated clinician who cared deeply for her patients, and a supportive and respected colleague to many,” Dr Tan said.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband, past AMA Queensland President Dr Chris Davis and her surviving family.

Dr Wylie David Gibbons M St J SURGEON (Retired) MBBS MS FRCS (Edin) FRACS MCICD (Rome) 22 FEBRUA RY 1928 – 2 AUGUST 2021 Born in Townsville on 22 February 1928, Wylie Gibbons was a passionate and tenacious man who committed himself to a life as a surgeon.

Graduating from The University of Queensland in 1951, and alumni of Emmanuel College, Wylie completed his residency at the Brisbane General Hospital before starting his medical career as a general practitioner in Rockhampton. After seven years in general practice, he decided to pursue his passion for surgery, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, and a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons.

Wylie took his commitment to the Hippocratic Oath seriously and worked tirelessly to save lives. He was always exploring new techniques to improve the outcomes for his patients, as well doing a stint as a ‘flying surgeon’, providing medical care to remote cattle stations in Central Queensland.

During his almost 40-year career as a surgeon, he helped countless patients, often accepting little or no payment from those in need. He became lifelong friends with some of those whose lives he had saved.

One of his proudest moments was when, after a 50-year struggle for his medical research to be recognised, his ground-breaking research into Gastro Hypothermia for Major Haematemesis was finally published, with the support of Professor Barry Marshall, Nobel Laureate in Medicine.

Wylie married Sibyl in 1954 and had a fulfilling life with her and their three children – Tim, Helen and Peter.

Peter tragically passed away in 1999 and Sibyl passed away in 2008.

Everyone who knew Wylie knew where they stood. He was a direct communicator and rarely hesitated to speak his mind. He held traditional values and was deeply committed to the ideals of Masonry. His involvement in Masonry spanned 60 years and he held 32 of the 33 degrees in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.

In 2020, he was proud to be awarded the Order of Service to Masonry.

In the last chapter of his life, Wylie was fortunate to find love for a second time, marrying Erika Hepburn (nee Dobberkau) in 2009.

They moved from Rockhampton to the North Lakes Retirement Resort where Wylie focused on seeing his career research recognised and creating a philanthropic legacy.

Once again working with Professor Barry Marshall and the University of Western Australia, he created two perpetual medical scholarships: the Sibyl Gibbons, Wife of Wylie, Postgraduate Medical Scholarship and the Erika and Wylie Medical Postgraduate Scholarship. These scholarships built on the legacy of the Sibyl Gibbons, Wife of Wylie, Masonic Memorial Trust Fund that he established when Sibyl passed away.

In his retirement, he continued his love of fishing for as long as he was able.

In the early hours of Monday 2 August 2021, Wylie David Gibbons reached the end of his toils, and passed away peacefully in his Brisbane home with Erika by his side.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 43

Don’t leave choosing your finance specialist to chance

SIMON MOORE Finance Specialist

credabl.com.au/amaq Live chat at www.credabl.com.au P: 1300 27 33 22 E: simon.moore@ credabl.com.au

After years of studying, clinical placements and gruelling exams, the 2021 cohort of MBBS Graduates are ready to step out as interns across the state. And despite the round-the-clock commitment to date, kicking off your career in a hospital is in fact only the beginning of a very exciting journey ahead.

You will navigate your way through the hospital system, relocations, further studying, specialisation, training programs, Fellowships and, for some, setting up or joining a private practice.

However, if at any point you stop and take a breath, you may become acutely aware that throughout this journey, you probably have not had the opportunity to learn about the nitty gritty of managing your finances.

That’s where we come in! At Credabl, we are excited to play a part in your career progress and offer you the finance knowledge you need to achieve personal and professional success.

Stick to what you’re good at, and lean on others for support Take the salary you’re starting to earn as an Intern. Aside from treating yourself occasionally (because after years as a student, who wouldn’t?), what will you do with your income?

Do you understand the ins and outs of salary sacrificing? Are you going to start saving for your first home?

Is now the time to buy a new car?

Do you need a line of credit to access capital to fund training and courses?

Oh and of course, can you do all of this in a tax effective manner?

Members of AMA Queensland are very lucky to have a group of dedicated Corporate Partners across a variety of fields available to help at every step of your journey. Credabl is a specialist lender to the medical profession and as a Corporate Partner to AMA Queensland, we work with other specialist providers daily to help you fulfil your professional dreams.

Relationships with a trusted circle of advisors may not feel like being a highly important topic for a young doctor stepping out onto the wards for the first time. But, if you want to go and do that successfully and without the stress of everything finance, tax, superannuation etc buzzing around your head, then sorting it sooner rather than later will stand you in good stead.

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Knowing who to trust As you progress through your career, you will see there are plenty of people in every industry who will try and gain your attention and get your custom.

Buyer beware! From investment schemes, apparent hot deals for new cars and advice on your tax or buying a home, we have seen plenty of unsuspecting doctors taken for a ride.

Supporting those who support you will without doubt help you find greater success through mutually beneficial relationships and specialist understanding of what you are going through now and in the future in your careers.

Value for money It is imperative that you deal with finance and business specialists who know your profession and speak your language. At Credabl most of our team have been in the industry for over 15 years and have a deep understanding of the medical profession. It’s also important that when you engage that specialist, you’re getting what you need, on time and at the right price.

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“

Getting more from my finance partner, means my patients get more from me.

Professional and personal finance solutions, tailored for you and turned around fast. When you partner with Credabl, you can expect all that and more. With a team of experienced finance specialists, we understand the medical sector so you can look forward to finance solutions that help you get on with business and looking after your patients.

You always get more with Credabl.

credabl.com.au/amaq 1300 CREDABL (1300 27 33 22)

Practice Purchase • Commercial Property • Goodwill Loans • Overdraft Facilities • Home Loans • Car Loans • Equipment & Fitout Finance • SMSF Lending The issuer and credit provider of these products and services is Credabl Pty Ltd (ACN 615 968 100) Australian Credit Licence No. (ACL) 499547.

PHIL SMITH

Direct International Investments

If your investment portfolio has been invested like the majority of Australian portfolios, it’s fair to say you’re not entirely happy with the recent returns on your capital.

That’s because the majority of Australian portfolios have little or no direct exposure to successful international companies that are truly dominant, global leaders in their respective sectors.

Australians are often attracted to the fully franked nature of dividends from Australian shares and too focused on this income stream, as opposed to the countless growth opportunities available from companies listed on international exchanges that are offering far superior total returns, that is, income and growth.

The world’s largest and most successful businesses aren’t listed in Australia.

If your portfolio is predominantly invested in Australian shares, you are missing out on being part of world class companies, offering exposure to some of the most progressive and successful global investment themes.

While the Australian share market can provide exposure to world class mining companies, and a handful of other companies that participate on the world stage, they are few and far between.

46 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

Investment portfolios need to be aligned to investment themes that are fundamental to, or contribute to, global economic growth.

Themes like IT innovation, cashless society, emerging middle classes of Asia, ageing population and pharmaceuticals are some of the sectors that are almost guaranteed growth, due to their very nature and the impact they have on the global economy.

Cutcher & Neale Wealth Management have been investing directly in international equities since the global financial crisis, and our clients have not only benefitted from the overwhelming success of direct ownership of global giants like Apple, Visa and Microsoft, but also from the falling Australian dollar.

Wealth Management Partner

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

However, direct international exposure shouldn’t end with just shares or equities.

Our fixed income and property portfolios also have direct exposure to international bonds and property, to ensure diversification to world class companies in these asset classes.

Investing directly into international companies, as opposed to investing via a fund manager, ensures you have a transparent portfolio and a more cost effective one as well!

The chart below illustrates the flawed investment approach of Australian self-managed superannuation funds (SMSF), where exposure to Australian investments dominate portfolios, at the expense of world class international investments.

Do I really need a medical defence organisation?

D R J U L I A N W A LT E R Medico-legal Adviser

So what could go wrong?

The patient, septic with pneumonia and pleurisy, had a central line placed earlier today. For the third time this afternoon the nurses seek review of the patient’s recurrent chest pain, reassuringly noting “obs are ok”.

They missed that elusive respiratory rate, now 35, suggesting all is not well. It has been a long day. “I’m busy, I’ll be there when I can.”

The staff go quiet. So when the Medical Emergency Teamcall comes, it’s a surprise. Resuscitation doesn’t go so well, taking longer than it should to diagnose the tension pneumothorax in the face of a new arrhythmia. Possibly the amiodarone you gave contributed to the death.

Before you know it, you’re completing the coronial referral, the family are threatening to sue, and the nurses are busy completing a risk notification about your delay in attending.

Generally, hospital employed doctors will have this cover provided by their employer – making them employer indemnified. If sued, their employer would pay the costs of legal representation and any damages payable to the claimant resulting from the claim.

Importantly, such doctors need to ensure they’re still covered by their employer outside of their place of employment, e.g. rotation to a private hospital, GP practice or locum work. If not, they may foot the bill for a claim and breach their registration indemnity requirements.

So why do I need a medical defence organisation?

While being sued might be the most expensive medico-legal matter you could face as a doctor, it’s certainly not the only risk.

Coronial matters What kind of death of a patient can be insurance is required? The related to something you did as a Ahpra registered health practitioners require professional indemnity insurance.

The Medical Board of Australia Registration Standard importantly tells us that compulsory insurance only refers to cover for claims – insurance against civil liability incurred by, or loss arising from, a claim that is made as a result of a negligent act, error or omission in the conduct of the practitioner. What we doctors would term being sued.

doctor. Employees might receive assistance under the hospital’s legal representation at an inquest. Yet your interests may not coincide with the hospital, and legal costs for a typical four-day inquest reach many tens of thousands of dollars. And what if you need separate legal representation?

MDA National assists in the preparation of coronial statements, identifying and addressing potential issues. Where needed, we also arrange your legal representation at inquests.

This article is provided by MDA National. They recommend that you always contact your indemnity provider if you need specific advice in relation to your insurance policy or medico-legal advice. The information provided in this article contains generic information only and does not account for requirements of any particular individual. Nor does it account for particular facts relevant to any legal, financial, medico-legal or workplace issue.

48 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

Ahpra health complaint investigations and disciplinary matters Many hospitals don’t assist with health complaints. A poor quality response can cause the complaint to escalate, bringing it closer to an adverse finding against you. It is critical that you obtain early advice and experienced assistance from MDA National, as this may save you months to years of worry.

Employment matters With an employment dispute, you find yourself at odds with colleagues and the hospital itself. Where do you turn?

Who should be your support person?

Employment matters can have an irreparable impact on your career.

Seek advice early from MDA National.

Medico-legal advice Not every call we receive reflects a disaster. Help with preparing a police statement; a patient wants to write their will; or can you date that patient you met in the ED 12 months ago?

No matter how simple or challenging the query, with MDA National you have at your fingertips a team of medico-legal experts ready to give you timely advice, so you can achieve the best possible outcomes in medico-legal matters.

Payroll tax ruling explained Recently, many clients have contacted us regarding the medical industry payroll tax ruling, issued 3 September 2021 by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) in the case of Thomas and Naaz.

This decision may not yet be finalised, as Thomas and Naaz may choose to appeal the tribunal decision to the NSW Supreme Court. Further, a tribunal case itself does not establish precedence for future court decisions.

However, there are broader implications from this ruling.

Payroll tax is a state-based tax imposed on the taxable wages of an employer.

Each state has its own payroll tax legislation and, importantly, payroll tax rates and thresholds. There is not one single Payroll Tax Act covering Australia, nor one rate of tax or threshold for its imposition.

While all Australian states and territories have harmonised a number of key areas of payroll tax administration, other areas still differ. The audit focus of the relevant Offices of State Revenue also varies.

A particular interest by one state in a certain area or industry does not mean this will become a national campaign.

However, owners and operators of general medical, specialist medical, dental and allied health practices should be aware of the potential implications of this case – the second to gain popular attention in recent years because of its relevance to the medical industry.

The first case was the Commissioner of State Revenue (Victoria) v The Optical Super Store Pty Ltd. This was a decision by the Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal where payments intended to be the doctor’s share of patient fees were classified as taxable wages for the purposes of payroll tax.

50 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

In this case, the service fee paid to The Optical Super Store varied depending on the hours worked by the practitioner.

Other factors such as leave, work rosters and the independence of the practitioners also impacted the decision.

The agreements in place were considered a mechanism to avoid the imposition of payroll tax on arrangements with the medical practitioners.

While of concern, the specifics of this case differed from the majority of the arrangements in place with medical practitioners, in that service fees are not generally set to achieve an agreed hourly remuneration.

The Thomas and Naaz case involved the imposition of payroll tax on the operator of three general medical practices in New South Wales.

The facts of the case were not in dispute and included the following.

Each doctor had a written agreement with the medical centre.

The agreements noted that the medical centre would provide administrative staff for the ’charging and collection of Medicare fees on behalf of the doctors’.

The doctors had the option to collect the patient fees themselves or the medical centre could do so on their behalf. All but three of the doctors nominated the medical centre to collect their patient fees. All patient fees were received into the bank account for the medical centre.

The application of the payroll tax legislation was said to apply under provisions within the Payroll Tax Act, which extend the imposition of payroll tax to contractors. Under this section of the legislation, the concept of wages for payroll tax purposes is extended to certain payments made under ’relevant contracts’.

Essentially NCAT decided that while the doctors were providing services to patients, they were also providing services to the medical centre in the operations of its business.

Particular aspects of the agreement mentioned in the ruling included the following.

The doctor shall at all times act to promote the interests of the clinic.

The records of all services are the sole property of the clinic.

The doctor shall have access to the records for a period of six months after completion of contract on request.

The doctor shall abide by operating protocols issued by the clinic from time to time.

Obligations on the doctor include:

meeting roster commitments;

being physically present during rostered sessions;

signing on and off at the end of each session with specific reference to the hourly rate period; and

not taking any action to channel patients away from the clinic.

Clause 4.1 of the agreement noted an obligation on the doctor to bulk-bill patients.

Clause 7 of the agreement provided for a work exclusion zone of five kilometres from the clinic for a period of two years.

Other clauses within the agreement provided very detailed references to hours or work and the leave policy of the clinic.

NCAT decided that the nature of the agreement and the requirements it placed on the doctor established a relevant contract for payroll tax purposes. This decision opened the gate for the imposition of payroll tax to the contractors.

Consideration points The case highlights again the importance of having current service agreements with your practitioners.

Even where an agreement is in place, if the agreement and the terms are not properly written and implemented, payroll tax can apply.

There are a growing number of factors to take into consideration when developing service agreements with medical practitioners. Here are some of our Do’s and Don’ts.

Work hours

Advertising

DO

DO

The doctor has discretion about when to work (subject to compliance with laws and regulations). It is acceptable to set days and times the service will be available. The doctor is able to choose the days and hours they work, subject to the availability of the service, without the need for consent by the practice.

In advertising, ensure reference is made to the premises as a place for the patients to visit their doctor or practitioner. The premises is not the provider of medical services.

DON’T The practice cannot mandate or require the doctor to work or attend the practice at set times and days.

This establishes a regular and systematic engagement to provide medical services as opposed to making a serviced office available to the doctor. The practice cannot mandate working hours for the doctor. Again, this establishes a regular and systematic engagement to provide medical services.

Collection of patient fees

DON’T Advertise the practice as the provider of medical services.

E: Julie.oreilly@ williambuck.com

The financial statements of the practice should show income as the service fees collected from the practitioners.

DON’T In the financial records of the practice, do not include the patient fees of the practitioners as income and show the payments to the practitioners as an expense.

Written agreements DO Ensure you have written agreements in place between the practice and the doctors and they are regularly reviewed. It is important to ensure that what is in the agreement is reflected in actions (substance over form).

Invoicing

P: (07) 3229 5100

DO

Patient fees collected on behalf of the doctors are received into a separate bank account that is used solely for the collection of patient fees. The fees are held in trust on behalf of the doctor.

The practice should not receive patient fees from the doctor into the general bank account for the practice. That is, the same account it uses to pay general expenses and not having a trust arrangement in place.

Business Advisory Director

Financial records

DO

DON’T

J U L I E O ’ R E I L LY

DON’T The use of verbal or handshake agreements is not sufficient and leaves you exposed.

This article was written in partnership with Mahoneys Lawyers and Advisors.

DO The medical centre should invoice patients in the name of the doctor and their ABN, and on the doctor’s behalf.

DON’T The practice should not issue invoices to patients under their ABN and the doctor’s Medicare number.

The above circular is for the provision of information to the clients and associates of William Buck and practice owners and operators in the medical industry. The information above is general in nature and meant for information purposes only. Should you have concerns regarding your own specific arrangements, please contact William Buck urgently so we can review and discuss your specific circumstances.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q

51

ANDREW HARRISON

Medical Insurance Advisor iMed Insurance

What is business interruption insurance and why do I need it?

Most people wouldn’t even consider opening a practice without insurance against damage from fire or storms, so it makes sense to invest in business interruption insurance cover as well.

While often overlooked, business interruption insurance can be vital to ensuring your medical practice survives during tough times. Unless you have a significant amount of cash and can afford to fund the recovery of your practice, this type of insurance can help your practice rebuild to its full strength after a major event.

There are so many different circumstances which can interrupt your practice, and the time taken to resume normal trading can cause significant financial damage. Wages, rent, and utilities still need to be paid, and you may need to rebuild or even move premises, and all the while you could be losing out to your competitors.

Resuming your practice as quickly as possible after a disaster is essential, and business interruption insurance is the best tool available to help you maintain your company’s financial position in difficult circumstances.

A recent survey by CGU Insurance found that one in four businesses would not survive if they had to close their doors for three months.

The survey also found that a quarter of small businesses would have to shut down if they experienced a business disruption such as a major fire or storm, and this figure jumped to 38 per cent if the disruption happened during a busy period in the year.

Realistically, any business interruption could be a major setback for a small business, particularly in the current economic climate, where the complexity of running medical practices is already difficult enough.

P: 1800 988 522 E: imedinsurance@ cutcher.com.au

What is covered?

1. Loss of income 2. Relocation costs 3. Operating expenses 4. Closure of business 5. Continuation of payroll The first step to ensuring your medical practice is fully protected is to understand your risks. iMed Insurance can help you assess what insurance your practice has, and what other covers you need to make sure you’re protected.

The material contained in this article is in the nature of general comment only, and neither purports, nor is intended to be advice on any particular matter. Persons should not act or rely upon any information contained in or implied by this article without seeking appropriate professional advice which relates specifically to his/her particular circumstances. Cutcher & Neale expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a client of Cutcher & Neale or not, who acts or fails to act as a consequence of reliance upon the whole or any part of this article. iMed Insurance is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Insurance Advisernet Australia Pty Ltd. AFSL No. 240549 - Corporate Authorised Representative No. 1260321

52 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

Helping medical professionals with 20 years of industry experience.

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Newcastle Sydney Brisbane

DR TIM WA R N OC K

Consultant Paediatrician, Cairns

my hobby

Portrait Photography

I am sure there are many AMA Queensland members who are excellent amateur photographers and may be members of local camera clubs. My work in Cairns in both the private and public sectors of medicine for the past 30 years has opened up many opportunities to support my hobby.

I have had quite a memorable journey since acquiring my first digital single lens reflex camera for my 50th birthday in 2007. I joined the Cairns Photographic Society (CPS) where I met a diverse group of enthusiastic photographers who helped me develop my skills. I felt very welcome.

In 2014, I travelled with a CPS colleague to Scottsdale, Arizona for two weeks as a Cairns Regional Council representative for a Sister City Photographic Exchange. The two Scottsdale photographers then travelled to Cairns to photograph in our region. This resulted in my first group exhibition titled Cactus and Coral at the Cairns Art Precinct, Tanks 4 Gallery.

In 2016, I participated in a second exhibition titled Docs Day Off, which highlighted 85 doctors from Far North Queensland doing what they

54 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

do in their spare time. This was very well received. The Regional Assistant Commissioner of Queensland Police saw it and wanted us to do something similar to humanise the police force. Cops Day Off resulted and again many community stories were told in journalistic portraits.

In 2019, CPS participated in another Cairns Regional Council Sister City exchange, this time with photographers from Riga, Latvia, with an exhibition titled Song and Dance.

In 2020, to commemorate working in Cairns for 30 years with my obstetric colleague, Dr Tom Wright, I started an ambitious project that I titled Safe Arrivals – celebrating a collaborative journey. My work at Cairns Private Hospital included attending many lower segment Caesarean sections (LSCS), both emergency and elective.

I often offered to take some images for the parents, and this became a local social media phenomenon.

Phones and cameras were being proffered by families as I walked into theatre.

This image, Ashton’s Arrival, is one of my favourites. I was called in after hours for an emergency LSCS. Both parents’ cameras had flat batteries, so they gave me permission to use my camera.

when not working

Time to Take a Paws

DR MARY WU

AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training, Logan Hospital representative

“I want to go home and cuddle with my cat.” I overheard another doctor saying this as I walked down the corridor after a long day on clinical placement. It was said with such joy and excitement that it brought a smile to my face. Little did I know, two years later, I would also become a cat owner.

For the project, I sifted through my medical records to obtain about 300 email addresses of families whose baby had been delivered by our wonderful team of obstetricians and I had attended their delivery. About 90 families provide images, which I sorted and edited for my first solo photographic exhibition of 38 images at Tanks 4 in January this year. It was a huge undertaking and resulted in two photobooks that were available for purchase by the families and the general public.

I was honoured when Cairns Private Hospital executive approached me and purchased 12 images that were framed and hung in the corridors of the refurbished Women’s Unit.

It is so important to have hobbies and community activities that you can be involved in. I always try to be available to attend CPS meetings and outings, as well as entering club competitions, despite a busy after-hours roster.

Most people who know me realise that I like a challenge and try to contribute to the fullest. I wonder where photography will take me when I have more time on my hands.

PHOTO CRE DIT: PA PA R A Z ZI PA E DIATRICIA N, TA KE N BY FRIE N D A N D ATH E RTON SOLICITOR, DA NIE LLE HODG E NS A N D G EORG E KN EIPP

On a breezy Sunday afternoon right before Christmas, I found my dream cat. My heart was immediately stolen when this cat with a fluffy tri-coloured coat and big, green eyes slowly climbed onto my lap and gently bumped her head against my chin. She came into my life like the best Christmas gift, plus a little bit of a cat-titude.

If you ask me to describe my cat’s mood, I would draw an analogy between it and the Melbourne weather. One second, she will be lying there enjoying the back scratches and meowing as if saying, “That was purrfect”. The next second she will hold out her paws as if saying: “What? I never asked for pats.”

Just like one of the greatest sayings, the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach; it is the canned salmon for my cat – works every time.

Having a pet has made many paw-sitive influences on my life. When I have a ruff day, I come home and cuddle with my cat and will be feline all better.

When I feel tired at work or need a break, I think about my cat to keep myself meow-tivated. Oh, and have I mentioned that talking about pets could be an effective way to build rapport with patients, in addition to many other communication tools you might have been taught in medical school? Asking, “Do you have pets? What is your pet’s name?”, is often the key to many of my patients’ hearts. It also provides an opportunity fur them to share their personal life that often reveals clinically important information.

The therapy dogs that visit hospitals are also paw-some! Whenever they visit the corridors and rooms are filled with laughter from patients as well as staff members. I must confess that it has been hard to restrain myself from following them around in the hospital. In the palliative care unit, patients also bring their pets to the hospital. It’s always heart-warming seeing fur-friends snuggle up next to their owners, bathing in the warm beams of sunlight that come through the window. The scenes of these fur babies enjoying their owners’ company were often the best meowments of my day.

Self care is a topic that has been visited many times throughout my medical school days and an essential topic for the demanding medical paw-fession. To me, spending time with my fur baby is a paw-erful way of helping me relax. Whatever works for you, but purrhaps, it is time to enjoy a cup of cat-puccino and avocato toast on a cosy morning, or a movie night with pupcorn. Trust me, I am a dog-tor.

It’s time to take a paws.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 55

Languishing We know that shutdowns and uncertainty are taking their toll on all of us mentally. And often, while we recognise it in others, we don’t always recognise it in ourselves.

The buzzword out there is languishing, that state or feeling that we are failing to make progress. Just like going to the gym to improve our physical wellness, we also need to focus on our mental fitness to protect us from languishing.

56 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

One of the best ways to beat this cycle is to have something to look forward to, setting small goals rather than big ones. The number one goal for many people right now is to have a change in scenery. We are realising it is not where we go but who we go with – it is about the journey rather than the destination.

While we now have a planned roadmap out of COVID, the virus may have changed how and where we take a holiday. One of the biggest trends to emerge during COVID is what is commonly referred to as a mini-stay or a staycation.

The mini-stay gives us the opportunity to have several small breaks rather than the traditional long holiday.

This will help refresh and recharge our batteries and get us flourishing again.

And what is a staycation, you might ask? A holiday spent locally, getting to experience all the things you normally take for granted, like yourself, your family, your friends and your local community.

Aren’t we lucky that we live in one of the best countries in the world to holiday in our own backyard. You might be surprised what is right under your nose, and you will be supporting local talent and businesses.

Contract Ros and Linda at Orbit World Travel on 1300 262 885 or email travel@amaq.com.au

Everyone has a different happy place, it might be:

eating out and enjoying our new favourite cocktail in an amazing bar;

taking in museums, art galleries, the opera or a symphony;

relaxing by the pool or beach;

farm stay or outback experience with the kids; or

health retreat or spa in the hinterland.

One of our favourites has been the beautiful Emporium at Southbank in Brisbane. Offering our clients the

added value of breakfast, early check in/late check out, high tea with French champagne. (and an upgrade subject to availability). With prices starting from under $300 a night, it’s great value.

And if you haven’t experienced the private saltwater lagoon, sandy beaches and the artificial reef at the newly renovated JW Marriott Gold Coast then you are in for a treat. Perfect spot to retreat to a cabana and soak in the some Vitamin D. The hotel has offered our AMA Queensland clients an upgrade, subject to availability and a few little specials along the way.

If you are thinking a little bigger and looking at a proposed bubble, then Fiji is set to reopen from December 2021 for fully vaccinated travellers.

Radisson Blu Resort Fiji has a great re-opening offer with six night’s twin share accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, plus local beer, wine and soft drinks starting at $1,860 per person including flights from Brisbane.

With these changing times, it is important to work with a team that knows the lay of the land. The AMA Queensland dedicated team at Orbit World Travel is looking forward to putting that skip back in your step.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 57

All About You Ingredients

Recipe

Method

250g Arnott’s Milk Arrowroot biscuits

1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup cocoa (dutch processed)

Extra shredded coconut

1 Finely crush or blend up your biscuits 2 Throw all the ingredients into a bowl and combine 3 Roll out into small balls 4 Coat in coconut 5 Set in fridge for 30min if you prefer a firmer texture

I’m sure we can all remember a time when we were a stressed resident rushing around doing jobs. On some days you’d miss a meal trying to get through a mountain of discharges and emergency calls.

So next time you want to offer up something more than an overpriced bag of sweets you bought at the convenience store downstairs, get your balls together.

Rum Balls

(minus the rum)

Then out of nowhere, an angel of a nurse comes up and offers you a slice of homemade cake or pie or any edible substance really. And oh boy, that sweet, sweet cake is possibly the best food you’ve ever tasted.

PS If you were to add rum (because you’re not taking these to work) then a tablespoon and a half is enough.

You promise yourself you’re going to bake them something amazing one day but as the term nears an end and you find you haven’t been able to bake anything (let alone know how to bake), you feel bad bringing in a sad box of Maltesers.

Here’s the next best option. Rum balls are super quick and easy to make, with the added bonus of actually tasting really good!

DR JINWOOK KIM

Critical Care Senior House Officer, Mater Hospital

WIN this book: TREASURE AND DIRT

58 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

Name:

Member no:

Telephone:

Fill out the form and fax it to (07) 3856 4727 or email competitions@amaq.com.au Entries close 30 January 2022 Doctor Q Summer 58

read Treasure and Dirt – Chris Hammer In the desolate outback town of Finnigans Gap, police struggle to maintain law and order. Thieves pillage opal mines, religious fanatics recruit vulnerable young people and billionaires do as they please.

Then an opal miner is found crucified and left to rot down his mine.

Nothing about the miner’s death is straightforward, not even who found the body. Sydney homicide detective Ivan Lucic is sent to investigate, assisted by inexperienced young investigator Nell Buchanan.

But Finnigans Gap has already ended one police career and damaged others, and soon both officers face damning allegations and internal investigations. Have Ivan and Nell been set up and, if so, by whom?

WIN THIS BOOK: Enter by 30 January 2022

LOVE CINEMA Nothing Beats The Cinema Experience!

There’s nothing quite like settling into your comfy seat with choc top or popcorn in hand, the lights go down, the sound comes on and the larger than life images start playing on the screen! Nothing beats the cinema experience.

With so many amazing films releasing over the coming months, it’s time to get excited about coming back to the cinema.

Re-ignite your passion for the cinema experience with a visit to Dendy Coorparoo located at Coorparoo Square or Dendy Portside located at Portside Wharf, Hamilton.

watch Heist

Visit Dendy Cinemas, the home of quality cinema, and catch one of the top releases you’ve been hanging out for such as No Time To Die, Dune, Eternals, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Matrix Resurrections, The French Dispatch, Spiderman: No Way Home, House of Gucci, Spencer and many more.

Head to dendy.com.au to see trailers, release dates and to book your tickets.

Netflix series Heist chronicles three of the biggest heists in modern American history as told by those who committed the crimes.

The show has a fast-paced style that’s been compared to Ocean’s Eleven and Catch Me If You Can. The result is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into how targets are picked, the meticulous planning involved and the sweet, even if short-lived, glory of success. However, every criminal makes a mistake and it’s fun to see how investigators discovered the truth behind these history-making heists.

WIN Dendy Tickets

Name:

Member no:

Telephone:

Fill out the form and fax it to (07) 3856 4727 or email competitions@amaq.com.au Entries close 30 January 2022 Doctor Q Summer 59 SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 59

D R M AT T Y O U N G General Practitioner, Inala Medical Centre

Vincent SE LF - P ORTR AIT, BY V INCE NT VA N GOG H

This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.

(Don McLean, 1971) Context is everything. It’s vital in medicine. Chest pain in a 75-year-old, morbidly obese diabetic, whose pain came on running to Woolies to buy smokes, beers and biscuits differs in context to chest pain in the 13-year-old opening batsman who’s just missed a short one and copped the red Kookaburra in the ribs.

It’s vital in archaeology – 3,000-yearold bones found next to a jewelencrusted golden crown, mace and orb are more likely to be someone famous than those in a paupers’ mass grave.

And in recent weeks I’ve discovered context is vital for appreciating art.

My Mum is a retired art teacher. She lives it. Breathes it. We had a goldfish called Claude (after Monet) and I still score art books every birthday and Christmas. It’s not that she disapproved of my obsession for cricket, it’s just that she reckoned I needed balance.

So, when the New York Met Exhibition came to the Queensland Art Gallery, I felt obliged to head off to see it. I don’t think anyone really outgrows that visceral need for maternal approval.

I endured the Renaissance works with all their religious and mythological themes with an endless supply of Madonnas, angels and cherubs.

I liked Caravaggio’s feel for humanity and Renoir’s sensuality. Of course, Degas supplied a few ballerinas, too.

But the piece I most loved was The Flowering Orchard by Van Gogh.

It was painted in spring, in Arles, 60 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

on France’s Mediterranean coast.

It’s bright, floral, full of vivacity and joie de vivre. It made me feel alive, happy. It took me to a better place.

When I came home, I opened one of the shelf-full of art books that Mum has given me over the decades.

Embarrassingly, it was pristine and still had that new book smell, despite having To Matthew. Merry Xmas, 2001.

Love Mum, on the inside cover. I knew Vincent had Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD), but as I read about his life and influences, his story became more and more multilayered. Despite suiciding at 37 and only taking up art at 27, he was monstrously productive. He created over 2,000 works in a decade of frenetic creativity. His brother ran an art dealership in Paris and hence Vincent met some fellows called Manet, Monet, Degas, Cézanne and Gauguin.

He embraced the colours and subjects of these French Impressionists. He also met Pissarro and Signet, the prime movers in Pointillism, and incorporated their ideas into his art. He was certainly in the right place at the right time.

Even Commodore Matthew Perry of the US Navy had a significant impact on Vincent’s art. He arrived in Edo in 1853 and aggressively suggested that hitherto Isolationist Japan should open up its borders and trade with the US and Europe. Soon after this, Japanese prints, with their penchant for blossoms and nature, arrived in Paris and dazzled Vincent. His interest in painting orchards and blossoms was set ablaze.

The issue that provides most context for Vincent’s work is his BAD. His friend, Degas, suggested that Arles in the South of France had a similar vibe to Japan and so with the spontaneity of BAD, Vincent took off to Arles and painted 200 masterpieces in 18 months.

His frantic activity certainly smells like mania and the uniformly joyful works certainly reflect a manic swing.

Reading about this prolific period in Arles really illustrated the essence of mania perhaps more than any of my psychiatric consultations over the last 31 years. Tragically, it also reflected the dark side of BAD, as Vincent’s life unravelled at the end of his 18-month period of artistic genius. His selfcare declined, his mood plummeted, culminating in him lopping off his left ear and ending up in an asylum.

The tragedy of untreated BAD. His story really touched me as much as any of those of my own psychiatric patients. A humble genius, whose creations have brought endless joy to so many generations, left suffering from the rollercoaster of BAD. And I wondered if I was his doctor back in the 1880s, but armed with a modern armamentarium, would I want to treat his BAD and ease his tortured soul, while simultaneously, taking the edge off his prolific genius that has brought such unbridled joy to the world. It’s a vexing moral dilemma. Maybe I’d just give him half a dose of lithium.

PHIL MANSER Wine Direct

P: 1800 649 463 E: philmanser@ winedirect.com.au

Tenute Ca’Botta Where Tradition Meets Innovation I love Italian wine! So much diversity, there’s something for every drinker, from the novice to the serious collector. In this article I’m focusing on one of my favourite styles and few do it better than Ca’Botta.

contains 4.3kg of fruit. Ca’Botta has just 20ha of high altitude vineyards overlooking the Squaranto Valley (350–550m above sea level). This high altitude enables them to make Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone and other wines of a higher than normal body, acidity and intensity of flavour.

Ca’Botta is based in the Valpolicella Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) region about half an hour from Verona and makes wine exclusively from dried grapes. In normal winemaking, a kilo of grapes makes roughly one bottle of wine. Even their ‘entry level’ wines like the Rubicondo are produced from dried grapes – 1.2kg per bottle.

They are blessed with three distinct soil types, Volcanic, white limestone and red Veronese marble soil. Their plantings are primarily of the typical Amarone varieties, Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara and Corvinone but they also use Turchetta, Croatina, Teroldego, Oseletta and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In addition to making regional specialties like Amarone, Ca’Botta also produce concept wines using grapes not allowed by the Valpolicella DOC such as the Il Priore, made in a super concentrated Amarone style after

At the other end of the spectrum, each bottle of the massive and supremely concentrated Il Priore

130 days of drying the grapes and contains 25 per cent Teroldego. As Teroldego is not an official grape of the region, they cannot call the Il Priore Amarone, but the Teroldego’s naturally high acidity and tannin counterbalance the density and concentration achieved by the extended drying process. The end result is a super concentrated and rich wine which still retains balance.

Ca’Botta have also received a patent for a maceration/fermentation tank they developed which facilitates maximum extraction of tannins, richness, colour and flavour from their grapes.

We are now the official importer and I invite AMA Queensland members to reach out and explore these amazing wines. Contact me for exclusive AMA Queensland pricing at phil.manser@winedirect.com.au.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q

61

restaurant review

Opa! Opa Bar and Meze, self-proclaimed as ‘Brisbane’s Best Greek Restaurant’, opened on Brisbane’s Eagle Street Pier in April 2021, a time of fortunately few restrictions and a societal appetite for smart casual dining on the city scene. Flanked by stunning views of the river and Story Bridge, Opa chose the perfect location to establish itself as a key dining destination for a Friday night date or a Sunday lunch with the girls, just as much as a civilised mid-week family dinner with your parents.

62 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

After taking your seat, spend a minute to admire the stunning interior design, which only adds to the Opa ambiance.

Green plants hang from overhead and neutral hued arches frame their cosy yet sophisticated booths, providing a calm atmosphere that we could all use at the moment. Of particular note are their gorgeous plates, in a design seemingly smashed and reassembled with glitter – a testimony to both Opa’s passion for tradition and their embracing of modern style.

Once you’re settled in, it’s time to peruse their extensive drinks menu.

An array of Australian and international wines, beers and spirits feature – however, I dare say the cocktail menu is most likely to catch your eye.

Named after some infamous Gods and Goddesses, the signature cocktail menu is a force to be reckoned with.

Dionysius, the god of fruitfulness, comes with Tanqueray gin, peach, orgeat and bitters. Ares, god of war, comes with chilli infused Tramba Blanco tequila, aperol, watermelon, lime and mint. Athena, goddess of wisdom, features Bulleit Bourbon with fig, peach and lemon. I highly recommend Aphrodite, goddess of love, with a lovely refreshing mix of Gold Coast gin, pomegranate, lime and prosecco, perfect for a Sunday

afternoon by the river. Equally as impressive is the beautifully blue Poseidon, god of the sea, featuring Four Pillars rare dry gin with apple, lavender, lemon and egg white foam reminiscent of the sea itself. A truly great cocktail has depth, and this is the kind that evolves beautifully on the palate with every sip, starting smooth and sweet, but finishing tart and fruity.

To begin your meal, the fresh and raw menu is perfect for lazy grazing with an aperitif or two. Ocean trout is served Mykonian style with citrus, watermelon and fennel. Sand crab is served with capers, taramasalata and scampi caviar.

Beer tartare comes with quail egg, romano pepper, aromatics and crispy pita bread. But if you have an appetite, the Opa Smash features some of everything with sand crab, West Australian honey bugs, raw sardines, cooked prawns, natural oysters and a lobster tail.

Next, Opa’s small plates make for a great mix and match style entrée – think haloumi chips with mint yogurt and pomegranate, chicken souvlaki with red onion and tzatziki, and calamari stuffed with feta, tomato, pine nuts and mustard sauce. Keftedes (beef and pork meatballs) come with feta mousse; lahanodolmades (cabbage rolls) come laden with pork, veal and avgolemano sauce; or there are lamb ribs, grilled

D R K AT G R I D L E Y

Advanced Emergency Medicine Trainee, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

king prawns, Cypriot sausages, grilled kefalograviera cheese… something to suit every palate!

For larger plates suitable for mains, they offer a Wagyu beef moussaka or pastitsio pasta, slow cooked lamb fricassee with avgolemano sauce, baked eggplant with creamy chickpeas and the classic spinach and cheese spanakopita to name a few. On weekends, expect souvia – a customary lamb on the spit with tzatziki, the way yiyia used to make it. If you’re of the ‘go big or go home’ philosophy, their share plates may take your fancy. Whole lamb shoulder is slow cooked traditional style with oregano and lemon, or there’s a whole kotopoulo yemista – chicken stuffed with ground beef, pork, rice, nuts, sultanas and herbs – both served with two sides of your choice.

with generous wedges of crusty village bread, alongside a Greek salad. A lesson in why seasonal produce is best, with perfectly tender ripe tomatoes served alongside creamy rich feta, tart red onion and crisp cucumber.

Next, arrives the flash fried calamari, served super crispy and not too oily, accompanied by the most wonderfully tender grilled octopus with just the right amount of oregano and lemon.

The feta saganaki is an absolute standout here – the crunchy filo pastry encasing thick, luxurious and tangy feta, drenched in a sweet honey sauce, is the stuff that dreams are made of.

You will be forgiven for attempting to recreate this one at home!

There are so many amazing menu options that choosing just a few can be quite the struggle. Luckily, Opa have taken the deliberation out of it with their banquet options. The banquet for two features nine dishes served in three courses. It’s best to wear your stretchy pants and maybe avoid lunch beforehand, as you’ll need all the space you can get for these liberally portioned delights.

You will already be feeling a little full by this stage, so by all means, take a big breath and pace yourself here. You will need to remind yourself that it’s a marathon not a sprint - because next arrives an entire lamb shoulder, with baked lemon potatoes and green beans served in a sweet but rich tomato based sauce. The slow-roasted lamb literally falls off the bone, and pairs delectably with a side of tzatziki – and with such large portions, it’s no surprise that we took half of it home with us for leftovers the next day.

This occasion of feasting begins with a silky smooth taramasalata served

Just when you think you’re about to burst, the dessert tasting plate arrives.

A super rich chocolate baklava with layers of chocolate, honey and walnuts sandwiched between filo. The divine Ekmek Kataifi, a timeless Greek dessert made with layers of angel hair kataifi pastry topped with custard and whipped cream – making for a crispy base topped with a rich cheesecake-like filling. And last, but not least, my all-time favourite Mediterranean sweet, Galaktoboureko – what I believe to be a superior Greek version of a vanilla slice, with filo pastry encasing the most wonderfully thick custard, topped with lemon syrup.

It’s messy, it’s fun and it’s exactly the homely and not-least-bit-pretentious style of food that I absolutely adore from this corner of the world.

Opa definitely lives up to their reputation as arguably one of Brisbane’s best Greek dining destinations.

They carefully walk the line between dearly holding onto tradition while also embracing the modern style of dining of the future. They combine flair with flavour, elegance with expertise, yet leave the ostentatious attitude far behind to provide a feast for all occasions. Opa! Located at 123 Eagle St Brisbane City, open 11am to 9.30pm Sunday to Thursday and to 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Menu and bookings via opabar.com.au.

SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 63

amaqfoundation.com.au

2022 AMA Queensland Foundation

Medical Student Scholarships DR DILIP DHUPELIA AMA Queensland Foundation Chair

The AMA Queensland Foundation is always committed to giving back to Queenslanders in need. This quarter we are focusing on our Medical Student Scholarships and are announcing our Christmas Appeal to support Juiced TV. Our medical student scholarships allow us to assist financially disadvantaged medical students continue with their studies and go on to be successful in their chosen field. This year’s Christmas Appeal is an heart-warming one as we get the chance to make a real difference to the lives of children in hospital and their families.

I encourage you all to donate generously to support the AMA Queensland Foundation so we can continue to give back to those in need.

DR DILIP DHUPELIA

64 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

Our medical student scholarship program is open again to all medical students attending Queensland universities who are experiencing financial hardship.

“My family was quite a large reason for me to apply for the scholarship as we were struggling financially at the time.”

Up to two scholarships of $10,000 each (paid in two equal instalments) will be awarded to eligible recipients. Since 2004, the AMA Queensland Foundation has provided close to $445,000 in financial assistance to 26 Queensland medical students.

“I wouldn’t be applying to the electives that I am applying for now. I wouldn’t feel as safe in my finances going through medical school as I do now,” he said.

One of this year’s scholarship recipients, Isaac O’Dempsey, said it changed his life. The scholarship has relieved his financial stresses, allowing him to focus on his studies.

Isaac is in his fifth year of study at James Cook University in Townsville.

“The AMA Queensland Foundation Scholarship has made quite an impact on my life. When I found out I had received the scholarship I was in shock, I just burst into tears,” Isaac said.

“To people who donate to AMA Queensland Foundation, thank you so much. It has been a life changing experience.

“Not only are you supporting the recipients, but you are supporting their families as well.

Without the scholarship, Isaac would have had to reconsider whether he could continue to study medicine.

To be eligible for an AMA Queensland Foundation Medical Scholarship, applicants must: be an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent visa holder; have commenced the MBBS program full-time at a Queensland university; have a GPA of 4.0 or above; experience financial disadvantage; and demonstrate personal effort to address your financial need.

Applications for the scholarship close on 28 February 2022.

We urge all members to promote this scholarship to medical students so we can help support the next generation of doctors in Queensland.

For further information, please phone (07) 3872 2222, email amaqfoundation@amaq.com.au, or visit www.amaqfoundation.com.au to download an application form.

Christmas Appeal

They also coordinate and capture experiences outside of hospital walls, bringing to life special requests from patients, and their mobile application the ‘Juiced Box’ also allows Juiced TV content to be accessible 24/7.

In addition to providing immediate entertainment and distraction from pain and stress, the program reduces anxiety and normalises injury and illness by helping kids see other kids just like them. It’s also about building confidence and self-esteem, strengthening social connectedness and belonging, and helping kids feel supported and empowered.

Support our Christmas Appeal and raise money for Juiced TV

“No matter where they are or what they’re going through, Juiced TV is there to support and empower them.”

Since its launch in 2015, the show has made a difference to the lives of thousands of patients and their families.

The AMA Queensland Foundation is proud to support Juiced TV for this year’s Christmas Appeal with the aim to raise $25,000 for a new, high-end, broadcast quality camera.

With COVID-19 precautionary measures, Juiced TV has turned virtual and found new outlets to provide quality and engaging content and experiences.

This year, we want to give Juiced TV the best Christmas present, a brand new camera, so they can continue to grow and bring a smile to the faces of more children in hospital and their families.

Juiced TV is the TV show made by the kids in hospital, for the kids in hospital.

It’s an Australian-first entertainment initiative committed to improving the quality of life of patients and their siblings in hospital.

Their new ‘virtual visits’ include special celebrity guests from around the world, live streaming straight to the bedsides of children’s hospitals across the state.

Founder and Managing Director of Juiced TV Pip Forbes said the aim of the initiative is to revolutionise the way kids and their families experience hospital.

We want to give kids in hospital back their childhood and improve their quality of life, but we need your help.

“Juiced TV creates a way for children to engage and communicate with one another, whether they’re in hospital, in recovery or returned home,” Pip said.

Juiced TV is based at the Queensland Children’s Hospital and is available in paediatric facilities across Queensland.

DONATE ONLINE AT amaqfoundation.com.au

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Brighten up a child’s Christmas this year and donate generously to the AMA Queensland Foundation.

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SUMMER | DOCTOR Q 65

InPrint Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment For 60+ years, Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, the flagship volume of the renowned Lange medical series, has been delivering the authoritative information students, residents and clinicians need to build their medical knowledge, expertise and confidence.

Written by top experts in their fields, this unmatched guide is formatted in a way that enables you to find the answers you need quickly and easily.

Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2022 focuses completely on solving

practical bedside clinical issues without spending too much time on pathophysiology. It includes full review of all primary care topics, including gynaecology, obstetrics, dermatology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, psychiatry, neurology, toxicology and urology. You’ll find everything you need to know about inpatient and outpatient care, along with the most relevant diagnostic tools for day-to-day practice.

Entries close 30 January 2022

WIN this book

Telephone:

Fill out this form and fax to (07) 3856 4727 or email to competitions@amaq.com.au Name:

Member no:

DENDY WINNERS Dr Michael Williams Dr K Martin Beckmann Check out the competition on page 59

66 DOCTOR Q | SUMMER

Dr Pauline Johnson Dr Alison Harris Dr David Wood

Novel winner Dr Su Mien Yeoh has won a copy of The Housemate

by Sarah Bailey, thanks to the generosity of Allen and Unwin Publishers.

Inprint Book winner Dr Chee Chan has won a copy of Understanding Clinical Negotiation thanks to McGraw-Hill Education.

AMA AMA AMA Queensland Queensland Queensland is now part is now part is now part of something of something of something bigger at bigger at bigger at Off iceworks.

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