4
President’s perspective
Our health systems are under stress. The continuation of COVID-19 and the early onset of the influenza season in our winter are resulting in a huge surge of patients presenting to primary care and hospitals around Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. We also continue to have staff shortages with many health workers either sick, on furlough or in need of a break from the relentless demands on them. Workforce availability will continue to be a challenge for some time to come. As a result of these, many hospitals are making the difficult decision to defer surgery, including urgent category-one procedures in Australia. In some regions of Aotearoa New Zealand, everything except urgent, non-deferrable surgery is on hold in public hospitals; whereas private surgery continues depending on staffing levels. Many primary care clinics in Aotearoa New Zealand are reporting
that they are understaffed and patients are struggling to get appointments. We are seeing a definite increase in the use of telehealth consultations and this will certainly be the way of the future. We as surgeons must remember that we can undertake many of our consultations by technology assisted methods and this has the benefit of less travel for patients and possibly shorter consultations for the surgeon. I hope that we will once again overcome these pandemic challenges as spring comes and the warmer weather hopefully minimises the spread and impact of COVID-19 and influenza. On a more positive note, RACS Council approved the Aotearoa New Zealand Regional and Rural Health Equity strategy, which focuses on tailoring solutions to address the country’s specific issues and apply a Māori health lens as per the principles outlined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi
(The Treaty of Waitangi) and Te Rautaki Māori (RACS Māori Health Action Plan). This is supplementary to the College’s Rural Health Equity Strategy, which has successfully been running activities in both countries for the past 18 months. The strategies aim to improve health equity for remote, rural and regional or provincial people in our countries by increasing the surgical workforce and building sustainable surgical services in these areas. Promoting rural equity is a key priority in the College’s strategic plan and we have asked for rural representation on all RACS committees and the inclusion of a rural health equity standing item on all relevant agendas. I recently participated in the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand’s (USANZ) annual scientific meeting held at the Gold Coast in Queensland. It was an impressive well attended event with excellent education sessions and many
