Doctors call on sporting heroes to support ban on junk food and alcohol advertising to kids in order to fight obesity epidemic and alcohol damage

The Doctors Reform Society notes with concern that amidst an obesity epidemic and calls for easier access to obesity surgery for teenagers, and increasing abuse of alcohol by our young, we see our sporting heroes advertising daily for products which feed directly into these major problems in our society.

“Our young people look up to these sporting heroes but our television screens are awash with these same heroes promoting alcohol and fat or sugar laden fast food,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President of the Doctors Reform Society.

“Whilst there is a place for advertising of such products to adults, noted Dr Woodruff, “there is no one who would dispute the fact that many teenagers and younger children will be glued to the cricket this summer and cannot possibly miss their heroes advertising both alcohol and fat/suger laden fast food.”

“These problems will not be addressed by obesity surgery, which is best reserved for the more severe and resistant cases of morbid obesity – and often accompanied by serious risk of side effects, including death. We call on the Australian Medical Association, which does support a ban on junk food advertising to kids, to support our campaign to control advertising of alcohol and fast food by our sporting heroes. We also ask that these sports leaders and their associations consider the effects of their promotional activities on our youngsters who are our future”.

Dr Tim Woodruff
President
Doctors Reform Society

Dr Con Costa
Vice President
Doctors Reform Society

Dr Tracy Schrader
Vice President Qld
Doctors Reform Society

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The Doctors Reform Society today released a scorecard assessing the health policies of the parties.

“We have a unique situation at the upcoming election”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society, “in that there is no possibility of the Labor Party gaining an outright majority in the Senate. Thus even should they win the elections they will be powerless to pass legislation through the Senate to fix our ailing Public Hospitals and health system.”

“Our world class health system is in danger,” said Dr Woodruff. “A 50% increase in out of pocket costs over the last 10 years, combined with lack of access to quality health care for disadvantaged and geographically remote patients is leading to increasing disparities in health outcomes between rich and poor.”

“Our health workforce is at crisis point,” said Dr Woodruff. “The nursing workforce is aging and working conditions and career pathways are deterring many dedicated people from continuing their life saving work. Our medical workforce is inadequate and not distributed to areas of need. Our hospitals are struggling to cope with the increased demands”.

“Our health system is fragmented, inefficient, and hospital and disease focused. We need vision and national planning to address the health issues of the 21st century”.

“This assessment reveals some promising and some very worrying results,” said Dr Woodruff. “It is the minor parties that are demonstrating a much better vision for policies to bring equity, efficiency, universality, and quality to our health system. The Coalition is struggling to score many points on any of the key health issues confronting our politicians and our patients.”
“We note that the Labor Party has scored better than the Coalition on all issues we regard as priorities,” said Dr Woodruff “and we encourage voters concerned about our health system to take this into account when considering their vote for the House of Representatives”.

“The role of the senate, however, will be crucial in achieving the best health system outcomes over the next three years whichever party gains government” said Dr Woodruff. “As the Labor Party cannot possibly win balance of power in the Senate in this election, the choice is between the minor parties and the Coalition. Due to the encouraging scores of the Democrats and Greens, it will be imperative for progressive policies that the minor parties gain this role”

11 Issues, scored on 0-5 scale, maximum points 55.

0 – Policy or statements which conflict directly with addressing issue.
1 – No policy
2 – Vague statements which may address issue or significant mixture of policies which in sum are directed to addressing issue
3 – Appropriate policy suggestions with little detail, or moderately detailed policy suggestions partially addressing issue
4 – Policy suggestions with moderate detail or excellent policy suggestions addressing issue partially
5 – Excellent well thought out policy to address issue

Dr Tim Woodruff
President
Doctors Reform Society

Dr Con Costa
Vice President
Doctors Reform Society

Dr Tracy Schrader
Vice President Qld
Doctors Reform Society

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“John Howard’s announcement today of increased Aged Care places which will ‘take the pressure off public hospitals’ is a belated admission that the Federal Government does bear some responsibility for the dire situations in our public hospitals” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “This is after years of saying that public hospitals are a State responsibility and that problems in these hospitals are down to the States.”

This comes on top of an admission by the Federal Government that it has underfunded the public hospitals compared to the States contribution,” said Dr Woodruff

“Mr Howard and Mr Abott (The Minister for Private Health) need to “come clean” and tell us if and how they will reverse their failed health policies.”

“They need to tell the public how they will staff such Aged Care places in a time of crucial nursing shortages across the county,” said Dr Woodruff.

“They also need to act on the 8.7% of admissions to hospitals which would not be happening if there was adequate primary care – for which the Federal Government is largely responsible”, said Dr Woodruff

Thursday, 1 November 2007

Howard still has nothing for Public Hospitals

“Yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister that 50 new ‘family medical centres’ will be set up to take the load off our under-resourced emergency departments is a sad indication of how ignorant the Federal Government is about the problems in emergency departments,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society. “They will do nothing for our emergency departments.”

“GP type patients do not lead to the problems in emergency departments”, said Dr Woodruff, “Research consistently shows that the single major factor causing problems in emergency departments is a lack of beds in the hospitals for the patients who need admission to go to. There are no beds for them because

1. The Federal Government has admitted underfunding the public hospital system compared to the States by $2 billion per year

2. The Federal Government has not funded adequate GP based primary care to prevent people getting so sick they need admission to hospital unnecessarily. A 2007 Federal Government study suggested this accounted for 8.7% of admissions.

3. The Federal Government has not provided enough Aged Care places for patients waiting in expensive hospital beds

4. The States have not funded hospitals adequately to match the growing demand despite doubling their funding over the last four years”.

“Howard and Abbott remain in denial about their responsibility for the plight of public hospitals,” said Dr Woodruff.

“We’ve heard it all before: ‘we will take the load off public hospitals with the PHI rebate’. It didn’t work, and now the same claim is being made: ‘we will take the load off emergency departments’. It won’t work until there is a re-investment directly in public hospitals rather than in private hospitals and personal tax cuts, and new investment in providing adequate primary GP based care and adequate Aged Care.”

Dr Tim Woodruff
President
Doctors Reform Society

Dr Con Costa
Vice President
Doctors Reform Society

Dr Tracy Schrader
Vice President Qld
Doctors Reform Society

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“As we await a public debate between Tony Abbott, the Health Minister and Nicola Roxon, the Shadow Minister, these questions must be asked,” said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society.

“In the face of overwhelming evidence that our public hospitals and public health system are under enormous strain, which politicians are prepared to commit to the immediate and long term survival and strengthening of our public hospital and health system?”

“Which politicians will continue to play the blame game and confuse the electorate with the claim that they can provide massive taxpayer support for the private health system, maintain a quality public system for all AND provide massive personal tax cuts?”

“Who amongst them will be the first to accept that the public are way ahead of them in wanting quality public hospital and health services, not our taxes spent on propping up the expensive and inequitable private health system or personal tax cuts that will quickly be eaten up by escalating private health costs or escalating out of pocket expenses for public patients ?”

“Who amongst these politicians will realise that the public knows that tax cuts, no matter how large, will be of no use at all when Australians find themselves in a public emergency department which is under-resourced and overcrowded?”

“We are at a cross-roads,” said Dr Woodruff. “The alternatives are an expensive American style ‘Sicko’ health system with a growing infant mortality rate and bankruptcy a common occurrence amongst the sick desperately trying to pay medical bills, or a stronger public system delivering world class care to all Australians based on need and irrespective of their credit card.”

“After 11 years of health policy emphasising “the market” and an increased role for the private sector, the situation is desperate but not irredeemable.”

“We call on the politicians to stop confusing the electorate and to commit to policies which recognise Australians want and deserve a quality public health system – not more private insurance that is no use in an emergency or when you are really sick, or personal tax cuts that will be quickly swamped by exorbitant private health costs and an inflationary economic spiral.”

“Australia deserves better. Our patients and their carers deserve better.”

Dr Tim Woodruff
President
Doctors Reform Society

Dr Con Costa
Vice President
Doctors Reform Society

Dr Tracy Schrader
Vice President Qld
Doctors Reform Society

]]

The Federal Government is considering allowing private health funds to cover GP visits. This is the  height of hypocrisy  claims the Doctors’ Reform Society.  DRS President Dr Peter Davoren said “the Government is worrying about co-payments for people who can afford private health insurance when at the same time it is claiming price barriers are essential to reduce overuse of GPs and is forcing GPs away from bulk-billing by freezing the Medicare rebate for GP visits”.

“The tax-payer will again pick up the tab for spiralling health costs driven by ever increasing doctors fees, said Dr Davoren. “At the same time it will make primary care more inaccessible for all those people without private insurance who will struggle with increasing co-payments”.

The Federal Government is also considering allowing private health insurers to charge more for different categories of patients based on factors such as smoking history, age, gender. Apart from being grossly discriminatory this will also have the effect of pushing more people out of private health insurance into the under-resourced public sector. This is an attempt at social engineering at its worst, punishing all but the healthy wealthy for not being healthy and wealthy.

“The announcement that bulk billing incentives for pathology and radiology will be cut is a kick in the guts to those who struggle daily and weekly with their medical bills”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, Doctors Reform Society. “As doctors we need to have our patients undergo tests to diagnose their problems, to keep them safe when we start potentially dangerous treatments, and to ensure that the treatments we are giving are working properly. These new cuts will just make it harder to give all Australians the care they deserve.”

“Pathology and Radiology companies are businesses. They will pass on the costs of these cuts to patients, and patients will suffer. Whilst former Prime Minister Abbott claimed falsely that copayment s are dead, buried, and cremated, today’s announcement is about the resurrection of copayments, this time for pathology and radiology. This is on top of the inevitable copayments which are already following the freezing of the rebate for GP and specialist services.”

“If savings are really needed, why not do something simple like saving $1 billion per year by paying world market prices for our prescription pharmaceuticals?” asked Dr Woodruff. “The only people who would suffer from that policy would be the pharmaceutical industry and their political friends.”

The article in the MJA Insight calling for the sacking of the Chiropractic Board because of inadequate regulation of their members will hopefully give the Federal Government a stimulus to act to protect the public from potentially dangerous advice and practice, said Dr Peter Davoren, president, Doctors Reform Society. For several years some (but not all) chiropractors have been advertising the ‘dangers’ of vaccination in complete disregard for the policies of the Australian Government and its Department of Health. The Chiropractic Board has failed to act to control their rogue members and the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA) has failed to appropriately regulate the Chiropractic Board, suggesting it doesn’t have the legal power to do so.

In addition, some chiropractors continue to claim extraordinary benefits for manipulative treatment of medical conditions such as asthma or ‘infantile colic’ without any evidence that such treatments work, with potential for disastrous consequences of such treatments.

It’s time for the Federal Government to either require AHPRA to act for the safety of patients or, if AHPRA does not currently have the necessary authority, to legislate so that it does have such authority and  can protect the public from those chiropractors who continue to promote pseudoscience and mislead the public .

“Other professional boards acting under the auspices of AHPRA use their authority to reign in questionable practitioners. The Chiropractic Board should exert their authority to protect the public or go’ said Dr Davoren.

MEDICARE SELL OFF: NOW IT’S MEDIPROFIT

“Reports today that the Coalition Government is considering the privatisation of the Medicare billing system should send a shudder through the hearts of every Australian,” said Dr Peter Davoren, president, Doctors Reform Society. “Does this Government have any idea of the challenges for the elderly and disadvantaged in our community when faced with new technology? Will a Chinese company own access to all the personal data of Medicare?”

Medicare (public health insurance) costs about 3 cents in every dollar to run. Private health insurance companies cost about 12 cents in every dollar. Neither are perfectly easy to use for consumers but Medicare has improved somewhat. Technological improvements can continue to improve the system whether done by taxpayer investment through Government or by selling off to the private sector. But what is the bottom line for a private company? Definitely not ease of use by patients. It must be profit.

Technological improvement is a two edged sword. Improvements may benefit the technologically savvy but leave many struggling to cope with the new ways of doing things. The many are likely to include the vast majority of users of the system, the elderly, the poor, and other disadvantaged groups. Will a private company care about them? Or will they just say “this is the new way, adapt? We must make this profitable.”

It’s time the Federal Government made a decision to help make Medicare work better for all Australians, not just for the big end of town, the rich, and the technologically savvy. It’s time to invest our taxes to improve Medicare, rather than sell it off to the highest bidder.

DOCTORS REFORM SOCIETY

PROGRESSIVE EQUITABLE PUBLIC HOSPITAL POLICIES WELCOME

“The announcement today by the Australian Greens that the Private Health Insurance (PHI) rebate should be abolished and redirected into our under resourced public health system is welcome news for all Australians”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, Doctors Reform Society.

Under the Coalition the Medicare rebate is frozen, the public dental scheme is underfunded, and public hospitals are left to struggle whilst $8 billion a year is paid to the inefficient  profit driven PHI industry to enable those who can afford PHI to avoid public hospital queues. One level of access for the rich, another for the poor. This is grossly unfair and needs to change.

Also welcome is the support for re-institution of the Labor Party’s agreement with States on how public hospitals should be funded. This would return tens of billions of dollars to the States so that they can fund public hospitals adequately.

“Whilst it is encouraging to see the new Prime Minister talking about a tiny bit of extra money for the States to run public hospitals, the policies of underfunding the public system remain firmly in place”, said Dr Woodruff.

CHRONIC DISEASE HEALTH PLAN

1 STEP CLOSER TO 2 TIERED HEALTH CARE

“The release yesterday by the Federal Government of a completely different way for funding the care of patients with chronic disease is on the surface, a very welcome change in direction with the capacity to improve health care”, said Dr Tim Woodruff, Doctors Reform Society. “But the reality is different. This Government is determined to make our health system two tiered by increased involvement of the private health insurance (PHI) industry.

The report from the Primary Health Care Advisory Group recommends the Government “further encourage PHIs [private health insurers] to fund the prevention and management of chronic conditions”. This is manna from heaven for both the Government and the PHI industry.

With PHI more involved the future is inevitable: two tiered primary health care, just like we have two tiered access to elective surgery and to dental care.

The Government is combining this with cuts to Medicare through freezing the rebate with the inevitable consequence of decreased bulk billing, new and larger co-payments, and further opportunities for PHI to be involved to cover the co-payments.

It is not offering any new funding for this new chronic disease policy so with declining GP Medicare  incomes, it is looking to PHI to come up with the shortfall, but only for those who can afford PHI.

Much of this will not be apparent before the election but once re-elected, we will see the continuation of the Government’s clearly stated agenda to make more people pay more for health care and its unstated agenda to turn Medicare into a second rate safety net and promote private expensive US style health care for those who can afford it.