Australian Medical Association (WA)

15/03/2026

This year's AICD Company Directors Course™ is sold out, but you can register your interest now for next year.

The course continues to be a highly regarded program aimed at new and experienced company directors, business owners and senior executives reporting to boards. It provides participants with the confidence and knowledge to tackle the challenges of directorship both in the short term and as their careers progress.

Register your interest to be the first to hear when the next Company Directors Course™ is announced: https://pulse.ly/jklrokb6o5

15/03/2026

A/Prof Yael Perry, taking part in a Youth Friendly Doctor webinar in April, writes about the importance of inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ young people.

Despite recent advances in organisational practices and policies, LGBTQIA+ people still regularly encounter stress associated with regressive policies, negative media rhetoric and stigmatising community attitudes, and a growing global climate of political intolerance to diversity.

For LGBTQIA+ young people, who are at a pivotal stage in terms of identity formation and development, it is critical that they receive messages and acts of support from the people and systems around them, and inclusive healthcare that does not exacerbate experiences of minority stress.

A/Prof Yael Perry and The Kids Research Institute Australia are currently piloting a digital curriculum for medical and psychology students called Community in Practice: LGBTQIA+ Health Training which is due to be available to Medical and Psychology programs in 2026.

For more information see A/Prof Perry's article on the AMA (WA) website

It is almost certain that you will encounter LGBTQIA+ young people in your clinical practice, whether you are aware of their identity or not.

14/03/2026

📢 Share your views in our annual Hospital Health Check

The AMA (WA) Doctors in Training (DiT) Group runs this survey every year for all DiT/Junior Doctors working in WA hospitals - from Interns through to Fellows.

It's a vitally important resource for setting the agenda for DiT/JMO issues across the state for the next 12 months and promoting the wellbeing of DiTs.

The survey closes at 4pm on 27 March 2026. Complete it now at https://pulse.ly/ntdmgmfggf

14/03/2026

A multidisciplinary medical team at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital has pulled off an Australian-first surgery.

Using a robotic bronchoscopy system on a patient with suspected lung cancer, doctors did a biopsy that confirmed the cancer and then removed it, all in a single operation under one anaesthetic.

Respiratory specialist Dr Dhaval Thakkar (pictured on the right) led the ground-breaking surgery that detected the cancer deep in the lungs, before carrying out precision tissue sampling, and then highlighted the cancerous nodule with a green, glowing marker so thoracic surgeon Dr Miguel Mesa-Guzman (pictured on the left) could easily locate and remove it using keyhole surgery.

Dr Thakkar, an AMA (WA) member, says the robotic system improves diagnostic yield with fewer complications, which can save a patient needing to have follow up procedures and therefore reduce the time in hospital and get to treatment quicker.

“From a hospital perspective, hospital resource utilization, cost and efficiency, we’re not holding up beds or doing multiple procedures,” Dr Thakkar said.

“But for the patient, more importantly, they don’t have to take more time off, they don’t have to worry about coming in and out.

“Whatever we can do to minimise that time, and if that is minimised to zero, meaning you do it all in one, that’s even better. My tagline is you go to sleep with this fear of lung cancer and you wake up without it. We call it a one-stop shop, but I think an even better term is ‘one and done’.”

Read their full story here https://pulse.ly/sgayqk8ebm

13/03/2026

AMA (WA) president Kyle Hoath spoke to WA Today about the future of the after-hours GP clinic at Joondalup Health Campus.

Dr Hoath expressed concerns about any move to close or wind back the after‑hours GP clinic at a time when WA emergency departments are under sustained pressure.

“Such clinics exist to provide urgent GP‑level care after hours, that treat a wide range of conditions that would otherwise end up in an ED.

“Joondalup Health Campus operates under a public‑private partnership arrangement, and decisions that affect after‑hours GP access and ED demand have clear system‑wide implications.”

Read the article online

Ramsay confirmed it was “reviewing the clinic’s operations.”

13/03/2026

A practical win for AMA (WA) members! ✊

The AMA (WA) identified a significant underpayment at South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS). Our Industrial Relations team pursued the matter, resulting in $698,000 in back pay, including higher rates and entitlements.

That is real money back in members’ pockets, and accountability where systems fail.

If you have concerns about your pay or entitlements, please contact our Industrial Relations team for support, and encourage a colleague to join today https://pulse.ly/fkk7c35sfl

12/03/2026

WA’s public hospitals are under extraordinary strain, according to the new AMA 2026 Public Hospital Report Card.
https://pulse.ly/gl6buhcpj4

❌ Only 29% of urgent ED patients (Category 3) are seen within recommended timeframes — the worst nationally.

⬇️ Four‑hour rule performance fell to 54%, down sharply from last year’s 59%.

⏱️ Planned surgery wait times have improved slightly, but overdue patients still wait up to 502 days for essential Category 3 procedures.

AMA (WA) President Dr Kyle Hoath says WA’s hospitals are “creaking under the weight of long‑term demand that outpaces investment.”

Federal AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen warns the system is stretched “beyond its limits”, with federal funding unlikely to fully reverse declining performance.

Western Australians deserve better — and so do the clinicians working tirelessly to deliver care every day.

11/03/2026

The AMA (WA) is actively engaged with the Department of Health Telehealth On‑Call and Recall Review.

Our position is straightforward: doctors should not be expected to provide clinical decision‑making while on call without safe, reliable record‑keeping and appropriate remuneration.

The review must answer the core industrial question: how doctors will be remunerated for recall work, whether they physically return to the workplace or provide advice remotely. It must produce outcomes that can be carried into the next bargaining round.

See our full response here https://pulse.ly/o1qs6kibtz

11/03/2026

In the most recent President's Blog, Dr Kyle Hoath reflects on the enormous contribution women make across our health system, as patients, leaders, carers, and clinicians.

Of Australia’s more than 148,000 medical practitioners, over 47% are women, and their leadership continues to shape the profession in crucial ways. But as we mark International Women's Day, it is also a reminder that for many women, equitable access to healthcare is still far from guaranteed.

Women still experience unnecessary barriers to reproductive care, menopause support, timely investigations, and representation in research. These inequities are even more pronounced in rural and remote areas, and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, who continue to face unacceptable health disparities.

We will continue working with Government, clinicians, and the community to push for better: better access, better planning, and better outcomes for all Western Australians.

Read Dr Hoath's blog here https://pulse.ly/swqhomir8p

11/03/2026

The Postgraduate Medical Council of Western Australia and the AMA (WA) are hosting the 2026 Medical Careers Expo at The University Club of Western Australia.

The Expo is an opportunity for junior doctors and medical students to ask questions about future training pathways and requirements, to help you make important career decisions.

Network with over 30 exhibitors, and hear specialty guest speakers throughout the afternoon.

Click to see the program and register: https://pulse.ly/t1nz9nrrbg

10/03/2026

The AMA (WA) is thrilled to once again collaborate with the Australian Institute of Company Directors to deliver the highly acclaimed five-day Company Directors Course™ from 11– 15 May 2026

We have an exciting list of guest speakers to share their expertise, including Dr Lachlan Henderson.

Dr Lachlan Henderson commenced as Chief Executive Officer of HBF Health Ltd in February 2023. Prior to taking on the role at HBF, he was Group Chief Executive of Epworth HealthCare in Victoria for a period of six years from January 2017.

Dr Henderson is also a qualified medical practitioner and began his career as a GP in WA where he worked for over a decade. Subsequent executive leadership roles in the health sector have included CEO positions with responsibility for private and public hospitals, and pathology, across the for-profit and not-for-profit sector.

During his career, Dr Henderson has held a variety of University and Board appointments, and he is currently a Director of Cricket Australia, Deputy Chair of Private Healthcare Australia (PHA) and a Director of the Members Health Fund Alliance (MHFA).

👉 Don't miss out - registrations close tomorrow, 11 March 2026 to meet pre-reading requirements: https://pulse.ly/lix9avdd7q

09/03/2026

📢 Make sure your voice is heard!

The Hospital Health Check is an annual survey run by the AMA (WA) Doctors in Training (DiT) Group for all DiT/Junior Doctors working in WA hospitals - from Interns through to Fellows.

This survey is a vitally important resource for setting the agenda for DiT/JMO issues across the state for the next 12 months and promoting the wellbeing of DiTs.

With preparations for negotiating the next industrial agreement due to commence later this year, your feedback is more important than ever!

The results of this survey are also a helpful resource to assist new Interns in 2027 to choose their first workplace.

The survey will close at 4pm on 27 March 2026.

Complete the survey now at https://pulse.ly/euey0gobpw