Australian Medical Association (WA)

11/11/2025

AMA (WA) President Dr Kyle Hoath was on stage to present the Health/Medical Report Award at the 2025 West Australian Media Awards gala dinner on Saturday night at Novotel Langley.

The award, proudly sponsored by the AMA (WA), went to John Flint, from The Sunday Times, for “The Great Dental Racket”.

Finalists were Connor McGoverne, from 9 News Perth, WAtoday.com.au and 6PR Perth, for “Buying Nangs as Easy as Ordering Uber Eats Despite Tough New Laws”, and Caitlyn Rintoul, from The West Australian, for “Left Waiting: The Failure of WA’s Sexual Assault Services”.

Congratulations to John and his fellow finalists, and many thanks to MEAA, who organise the Awards.

11/11/2025

Smallpox, leprosy, rabies… and the odd hyena!

In the October edition of Medicus, long-time AMA (WA) member Tony Berman, now 100 years old, recounts in a family memoir some of his unique experiences working as a young doctor in remote areas of Nigeria.

Read about Tony's incredible life at the newly-designed Medicus online https://pulse.ly/3amllmdt1j

10/11/2025

After an unprecedented 7,274 hours of ambulance ramping in September, numbers dropped off in October, with 4,429 hours recorded.

This year we had a sustained three-month period of record-breaking ramping: July (7,012 hours), August (7,060 hours) and September.

In previous years the drop-off after winter peaks is more typically seen in September rather than October.

As the AMA (WA) and three other health unions made clear in their coordinated campaign, we can’t have another winter like this one, particularly as the peaks had extended into early spring. The call to action seems to have resonated with the Government, after the recent announcement of the $1.5 billion Building Hospitals Fund, which AMA (WA) President Dr Kyle Hoath believes will reduce ramping.

Click through to see this month's ramping figures in more detail https://pulse.ly/ltxqmbqsjg

09/11/2025

When health journalist and TV presenter Casey Beros learnt her dad was terminally ill, she did what many wouldn’t and uprooted her young family across the country to become his primary carer and advocate. Despite 15 years reporting on Australia’s health system, Casey quickly discovered just how confusing and complicated the world of care can be.

In her powerful new book, Next of Kin, Casey combines her personal experience with world-leading expert advice to offer a heartfelt, practical guide for the three million Australians currently caring for someone they love.

With warmth, wit and honesty, she discusses the torment about everything – from the agony of awaiting medical results to the often-avoided topics of illness, dying, grief – and what it really takes to care for someone through the end of their life..

Read our review of Casey's book in our latest edition of Medicus https://pulse.ly/soq6xhjgve

08/11/2025

In this week's President's Blog, Dr Kyle Hoath writes about what a great night we had last weekend at the AMA (WA) at MEDBALL.

It really showed the best of the AMA (WA) in so many ways. Besides being a wonderful celebration of the Association and our members, friends and sponsors, it was also a reward to a range of outstanding recipients of the AMA (WA) Awards.

We also have a new Rhodes Scholar among our ranks.

Read the blog here https://pulse.ly/jrdnp7x3tc

07/11/2025

The AMA’s 2025 Public Hospital Report Card — Mental Health Edition reveals that WA's public hospitals are struggling to keep up with the growing demand for mental health care.

In WA, the number of specialised mental health beds has grown steadily, but population growth has mostly erased these gains.

AMA (WA) President Dr Kyle Hoath said the figures were unsurprising and reflected long-standing concerns.

“We know that one of the issues that has led to ramping, that has led to the logjam in hospitals, has been mental health presentations.

While additional capacity is vital, the long-term focus must be on prevention and community-based support.

“The model for improving mental health care delivery is not one of just more beds... We need to make sure we’re managing people in the community where appropriate, that we’re intervening earlier, tackling things like domestic violence, homelessness, alcohol and other drugs, things that lead to disease burden but have a significant contribution to people’s mental health and wellbeing,” Dr Hoath said.

Read more https://pulse.ly/1ors30dwvt

06/11/2025

The AMA (WA) warmly welcomes the Cook Labor Government’s announcement of a $1.5 billion Building Hospitals Fund and the commitment to significant new hospital projects, including the proposed acquisition of St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital, major redevelopments at Royal Perth Hospital, and a new Peel Health Campus.

President Dr Kyle Hoath said: “This is a direct response to the AMA (WA)’s sustained advocacy for greater hospital capacity and investment in new infrastructure. This is a major win for our members and for patients across Western Australia.

“Our members have been unwavering in their commitment to delivering high-quality care, often under challenging circumstances,” Dr Hoath said.

“These are the kinds of investments the AMA (WA) together with the Health Services Union, Australian Nursing Federation and the United Workers Union have strongly campaigned for. It's been a long and difficult winter and we cannot have another winter like this.”

Read our full statement at https://pulse.ly/yepponfb5p

05/11/2025

The most recent Medicus Magazine reports on the unprecedented alliance of health unions who cover more than 90,000 health workers in WA – the AMA (WA), the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), the Health Services Union (HSU) and United Workers Union (UWU).

They joined together to put forward a positive, solutions-focused measures to tackle ambulance ramping, and show that they're willing to work constructively with the Cook Labor Government.

The five-point plan is endorsed by doctors, nurses and midwives, allied health professionals, health support staff and ambulance workers. Read all about it at https://pulse.ly/0ugwwb0jzg

04/11/2025

Calling all GP Registrars and colleagues! The AMA (WA) Doctors in Training Practice Group and GP Registrar Representatives are gathering feedback from GP Registrars across WA, and we need your help to spread the word.

Completing our concise two-minute survey will help us better understand Registrars’ current experiences, including billing practices, remuneration, and workplace support, and strengthen our push for fairer conditions and targeted advocacy.

🗓️ The survey closes 10 November.
👉 https://pulse.ly/bbktkdv2qh

Share it with GP Registrars you work with and help ensure their voices are heard.

03/11/2025

World-leading Perth liver researcher Georg Yeoh, who has been chasing what he calls “canary in the coal mine” disease markers for many years, is developing a groundbreaking blood test to support treatments for children with cystic fibrosis.

Liver disease is a leading cause of death among people with cystic fibrosis (CF) and Emeritus Professor Yeoh’s current research is focused on early detection of the disease to enable better diagnosis and treatment outcomes.

“The grant that we’ve got currently is very unusual in that it involves a lot of trust from the people who reviewed the application, to say that we can use what I call the ‘canaries in the coal mine’, which are our liver stem cells, as a surrogate for the liver condition in these kids,’’ the Perkins Group Leader, Liver Disease & Carcinogenesis Laboratory, says.

Looking back on his career in liver research, Prof Yeoh will deliver the 2025 Wesfarmers Harry Perkins Oration: “The Canary and the Cure: A Journey to Foresee and Fight Liver Cancer”, on Monday, 17 November, at the McCusker Auditorium, Perkins Institute, 6 Verdun St, Nedlands.

Register for this free event at https://pulse.ly/z2tic4obm3

02/11/2025

Chief Medical Officer Dr Simon Towler and philanthropist Elizabeth Perron were among the honourees at the Australian Medical Association (WA) Awards, presented on Saturday night at MEDBALL, at the Ritz-Carlton Perth, in front of more than 220 guests, including Health and Mental Health Hon Minister Meredith Hammat MLA, Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas, and Director-General of the Department of Health Dr Shirley Bowen.

And the winners are...

The Hippocrates Award, presented to Dr Simon Towler.

The President’s Award, presented to Elizabeth Perron AM.

The Medical Student of the Year Award, presented to Caitlin McEwen.

The DHASWA Champion of the Year Award (the Jonathan Morling Legacy Award), presented to Dr Maria Foundas.

The Junior Doctor of the Year Award (Dr Camille Michener Legacy Award), presented to Dr Jemma Hogan.

The inaugural Health Service Provider of the Year Award, presented to St John of God Health Care.

The inaugural Practice of the Year Award, presented to Pramana Medical Centre.

The Advocate of the Year Award, presented to Dr Daniel Hunt.

See our media release to learn more about all our winners: https://www.amawa.com.au/news/chief-medical-officer-and-outstanding-philanthropist-among-those-receiving-ama-wa-awards/

01/11/2025

Australian Medical Association (WA) member Shev Dias has become a Rhodes Scholar and plans to head to Oxford University in October 2026.

Shev, who is studying a Doctor of Medicine at The University of Western Australia, was recently chosen to progress to Rhodes Scholarship national selection before being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship Australia-at-Large.

He plans to take up an internship at Royal Perth Hospital prior to the commencement of his studies.

Besides the many rewarding aspects of Dr YES, such as positively influencing WA youth towards positive health outcomes and the mentoring he has received from fellow members who are now doctors, it also led him to the sport of Ultimate Frisbee, which he now plays at an elite level, even narrowly missing out on selection in the Australian U24 team recently.

Congratulations, Shev!

Western Australian Medical Students' Society - WAMSS

https://pulse.ly/avcauvipru

The AMA (WA) looks after the professional and industrial needs of members at all stages of their careers, and is committed to advancing the medical profession.