July 2007

Samples at the door, kids

Drug testing is in vogue. Random screening is the norm in the mining industry and the AFL has come under pressure from the government to tighten its testing procedures (Ben Cousins, anyone?). In turn (and in spite), the AFL players association proposed random drug testing of pollies and bureaucrats. But is drug testing in the wider community such a ludicrous idea? Perth doctor George O’Neil doesn’t think so. George sees the pointy end of drugs through his addiction treatment clinic and has called for high school students to be regularly screened for drugs. ‘Ice’ and amphetamines are rampant on our streets and yet the best the government can come up with is this month’s drug summit. How about less talk and more action?

HDWA’s dirty linen

Keeping its dirty linen well out of sight seems to be the WA Health Department’s favoured approach. The department initially refused calls from the AMA and The West Australian to release findings of a commissioned workplace survey conducted last year costing taxpayers close to $900k. The West obtained the survey results under Freedom of Information laws and found that 11,845 or 36% of HDWA staff participated. Of concern was the 29% of respondents who felt pessimistic about the department’s future. Also, 20% of 3291 respondents experienced bullying or harassment from management, with 23% bullied by general staff. The poll was the first in the department’s history but given the secrecy and bad press (not to mention the cost) that surrounded the results, it could well be the last.

Part-timers: lobby like its 1999!

Rosanna Capolingua’s election as the AMA’s Federal President has created an intriguing first. The two peak GP rep bodies, the AMA and the RACGP, now have female part-time GP presidents from WA. Stay tuned for any lobbying that occurs on behalf of the rising number of part-time GPs. Most policy from Canberra is geared to a model of general practice involving full-time GPs working at least 40 hours/week and probably co-owning a practice, which is increasingly not the case. In the next ten years, the part-timers will outnumber the full-timers. If there was ever a time to lobby for policy changes that recognise this reality, this is it.

Hospital or hotel?

Jim McGinty has unveiled his elite squad of architects and planners chosen to design the new Fiona Stanley hospital, due for completion in 2012. The minister announced that the design would be inspired by innovative hospitals in the US, with almost all beds in single rooms. With 643 beds slated for the hospital, that’s a lot of privacy, but the patients won’t be complaining! In a bid to attract and retain staff, the hospital will have a coffee lounge, gym, and childcare centre for medicos.