Advocacy at RACS

RACS has a strong history of advocacy across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. We are committed to effecting positive change in healthcare and the broader community by adopting informed and principled positions on issues of public health. We regularly advocate for these positions across several different mediums, including through the media, public campaigns, or by negotiating directly or providing written submissions to both government and non-government agencies. Read on to find out more about our advocacy work.

Joint letter to the Australian Competition Tribunal RACS has joined with specialty societies in writing to the Australian Competition Tribunal. The letter is regarding an application by Honeysuckle Healthcare Pty Ltd and other applicants (nib) ‘buying group’ and the up-and-coming Australian Medical Association hearing in the Tribunal. The letter is available on the RACS website (bit.ly/3nzSdtV). RACS previously opposed an application by Honeysuckle Healthcare Pty Ltd and other applicants for authorisation to form and operate a buying group (bit. ly/3NGyKlV).

Australian federal election As highlighted in the previous issue of Surgical News, RACS wrote to the major Australian political parties in the lead-up to the recent federal election. Our letter identified 11 focus areas and sought answers to a range of related questions. The focus areas identified were: • building respectful and safe workplaces for all who work in surgery and in the wider health sector

• guaranteeing the public sector provides timely access to essential surgery • expanding surgical (and other specialist services in rural areas) • expanding surgical (and other specialist) services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander people • protecting the public by restricting the title ‘surgeon’ to those with accredited advanced surgical training • improving care through appropriate clinician-led patient outcome data collection and dissemination to clinicians and understanding the many unintended consequences of non-risk adjusted release to the public • ensuring the Medicare Benefit Schedule provides equitable access to health services and remains contemporary • preventing incremental moves to USstyle ‘managed care’ and ensuring our mixed healthcare system continues to thrive

• reducing death and serious injury on our roads • safeguarding the health of all

Australians from the threat of climate change • committing to health security and longterm health systems strengthening in the Pacific.

RACS congratulates the Hon. Mark Butler who has been sworn in as Australia’s new Health Minister, and the Hon. Ann Ruston who has been appointed the Shadow Minister for Health. Over the next four years RACS will endeavour to work with the government and the opposition to ensure that these issues and others related to public health—particularly those relating to the delivery of surgical services—remain a priority.

Transparent patient outcomes RACS recently provided a submission to the Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Transparent Patient Outcomes) Bill 2021. In doing so we consulted with our Fellowship within our governance structure including our state and territory committees, the Research, Audit & Academic Surgery (RAAS) division, the Rural Surgery Section (RSS), and the Health Policy and Advocacy Committee (HPAC). We also thanked our 13 Australian and bi-national surgical specialty societies and associations for providing their presidents joint signatures in support of our submission. The attached submission is written in the format requested by the Australian Department of Health, and we look forward to participating in possible future meetings and/or hearings. Read the full submission (bit.ly/3N1iOva).

Want to know more about RACS Advocacy? Every four to six weeks RACS distributes an Advocacy in Brief newsletter, which includes detailed updates on recent RACS submissions from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, active consultations and engagement opportunities, as well as various other items of interest. If you would like to be added to the distribution list for future issues, please email the RACS Policy and Advocacy Team at RACS.Advocacy@surgeons.org