ASMS

Reversing climate change could be the greatest health accomplishment of the 21st century, the President of the World Medical Association, Dr. Leonid Eidelman, said today. And doctors needed to be fully engaged. In an article in the US magazine ‘Fortune’ to coincide with the climate change summit in Poland, Dr. Eidelman writes that if doctors wanted to fully uphold the Declaration of Geneva’s creed that ‘the health and well-being of my patient will be my first consideration’, they needed to …

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The Green Party has wrapped up its investigation into New Zealanders being potentially discriminated against for mental ill health whilst applying for work. The 59 submissions showed that potential discrimination may be occurring across the private and public sector, with large companies like Wishbone, Coca-Cola, Air New Zealand, New World, Countdown and PWC all being raised by New Zealanders for potential misconduct when managing mental ill health in the job application process. “This investigation demonstrates that there is a culture …

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The Mental Health and Addiction inquiry report released this month by Health Minister David Clark is the most significant review of the sector since the 1990s and looks set to lead to an overhaul of services. It’s prompted discussion about the role of the state and health professionals in an issue with wide social and community drivers. In an article for ASMS, Wellington forensic psychiatrist Justin Barry-Walsh argues both for broad social change and an immediate increase in resources to …

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Doctors at five Wellington general practices are due to strike for an hour tomorrow morning, the second in a series of walkouts over the exclusion of their dentist colleagues from their collective employment agreement. Twenty-one doctors at Iwi health provider practices in Porirua, Cannons Creek, Titahi Bay and Newtown plan to strike from 9am until 10am on Monday 10 December, with further stoppages scheduled for 13, 18 and 19 December, followed by a full-day strike on Christmas Eve. They also …

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Doctors at five Wellington general practices walked off the job for an hour this morning over the exclusion of their dentist colleagues from the collective employment agreement covering doctors. “We understand that no doctors were on duty for an hour from 9am today as part of a planned series of rolling stoppages,” says Lloyd Woods, Senior Industrial Officer at the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). Twenty-one doctors at Iwi health provider practices in Porirua, Cannons Creek, Titahi Bay and …

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Twenty-one doctors at five Iwi health provider practices will take the first ever strike action by New Zealand general practitioners tomorrow (Friday) after efforts to avert the strike failed. “This could have been avoided if the employer, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, which runs Ora Toa Health, allowed its dentists to join the collective agreement that covers its doctors,” says Lloyd Woods, Senior Industrial Officer at the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “It’s regrettable, as it didn’t need to …

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The senior doctors’ union says the Health Minister needs to get off the fence over the issue of a safe staffing accord for hospital specialists. “The Minister doesn’t seem to appreciate the gravity of the situation for hospital specialists,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “Our research indicates about half of them are experiencing burnout, they’re dealing with workforce shortages of around 20%, and a quarter of them have said they plan to …

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OPINION: By the time the Government delivers its verdict on a sweeping mental health inquiry next year, 150-odd people might have killed themselves. That’s going by New Zealand’s average suicide rate, which has increased steadily every year for the past four years. It’s the most visceral reminder of a mental health service in crisis. And yet it’s only the symptom of a much wider issue at the heart of the inquiry’s report – that there is a massive gap in services at the lower to middle …

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The Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction is recommending the government set up a Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, take strong action on alcohol and other drugs and set a target to reduce suicide rates. Read the media reports below: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/109066922/major-new-target-to-boost-access-to-mental-health-services-top-recommendation-from-inquiry https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/109073519/experts-react-to-the-release-of-governments-mental-health-and-addiction-inquiry https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/377443/mental-health-report-recommends-re-think-on-drug-charges

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Health Minister Dr David Clark says the Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink how we handle some of the biggest challenges we face as a country. The Government has today publicly released the report of the Inquiry in full, less than a week after receiving it. “Mental health and addiction are issues for all New Zealanders. Every community and just about every family has someone in it that has lived with a mental health …

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