Big week in AMA media

Over the past week we issued several media releases including on road safety data, a tax on sugary drinks, and submissions to the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) on chronic conditions and after-hours GP appointments.

We commended Transport Minister Catherine King’s announcement that she would seek to mandate a requirement for all states and territories to start sharing data on road accidents in the next five-year road funding deal.

During the 12 months to March this year, 1,286 people lost their lives on Australian roads — an 8.2 per cent increase from the previous 12-month period.

The AMA has strongly campaigned for nationally consistent data sharing on road safety.

The AMA also welcomed the Grattan Institute’s report, which once again shows how targeted sugar taxes work to reduce the amount of sugar in many of our most commonly sold drinks.  

The Grattan Institute joins a long list of leading public health groups in calling for the introduction of a sugar tax.

The AMA’s #SicklySweet campaign and pre-budget submission highlights that a tax on sugary drinks will help tackle obesity and other preventable chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. 

The AMA also released two submissions to the Department of Health and Aged Care this week.

The first called for a coordinated policy approach and cross jurisdiction funding for chronic disease, in its response to the department’s consultation on a new National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions.

In its submission, the AMA is calling for improved arrangements to support GP led well-coordinated multidisciplinary care for patients with chronic and complex disease.

In a submission to a departmental review of primary care after hours programs and policy, we said patients are not provided with enough support to access GP services outside of normal hours.