AMA (NSW) President: Baird Government has kept health promises
January 19, 2017
President’s Word January / February 2017
January 30, 2017AMA (NSW) President, Prof Brad Frankum, says that as Health Minister, Jillian Skinner approached the job with honesty and open communication.
“If a Health Minister can be judged on providing the spaces and facilities that doctors and other health workers need to do their jobs, Jillian Skinner leaves a good legacy.
“In a similar vein, she has shown a strong focus on clinician engagement and making the time to talk to people on the ground.
“Additionally, she oversaw the roll-out of the Local Health District structural reforms,” Prof Frankum said.
“It is a credit to Jillian Skinner that, in her tenure as Health Minister, she regularly met with doctors, nurses, and other health staff throughout NSW.
“Even going as far as to formalise a memorandum of understanding with AMA (NSW) and ASMOF (NSW) on making clinician engagement a priority in hospital management.
“It can be very easy for someone in that position to disengage with people at the coalface.
“Especially when groups like AMA (NSW) frequently disagree with any Government about management of healthcare.
“But Jillian Skinner never did and I am grateful to her for keeping those lines of communication open,” Prof Frankum said.
“When it comes to infrastructure, Jillian Skinner has been remarkably good at keeping to Government promises, and being able to count on that is very important in health.
“In this respect, the outgoing Health Minister has set a high bar for her successors when it comes to delivering on what they pledge to do,” Prof Frankum said.
“Jillian Skinner’s successor is inheriting a good system but it’s stressed one.
“We still need better co-operation from the Federal Government on health funding – that is a major ongoing issue.
“With the new 2017 interns having started this week, another problem that is top of mind is ensuring the post-university training pathway for junior doctors is unobstructed.
“We have large numbers of great new medical staff coming through to help relieve stress on the system but they’re not fully-trained yet and we can’t afford to hold them back from that.
“I hope AMA (NSW) will be able to continue to work with the next Health Minister in the same spirit of co-operation and integrity as we have with Jillian Skinner,” Prof Frankum said.
Media contact: Lachlan Jones 0419 402 955