3 June 2022

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) President, Dr Jacqueline Small, is available to comment following comments by the New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet on working with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on prioritising healthcare reform with the Federal Government.

The RACP represents over 28,000 specialist Fellows and trainees.

Quotes attributable to RACP President and Paediatrician, Dr Jacqueline Small:

“We need urgent government intervention from both state and federal governments. We need them to step in and start taking action to alleviate the pressures on frontline staff, and put in place a better workforce plan to protect the welfare of our physicians.

“We need a healthy workforce. If this isn’t the case, how can we be responding to the ongoing challenges to a proper standard?

“Australia’s health system still suffers from fragmented service delivery, and stagnated investment in research and innovation.

“There is a lot of work to be done to improve the healthcare system, as the challenges of COVID-19 continue, including delays to care and the great strain on the health workforce, which must be urgently addressed. The pandemic has revealed problems in our health system that require dedicated investment to ensure we can continue to deliver a first class health system.

“Addressing burnout must be one of the main priorities because it is immediate, it’s happening now. It is compromising the wellbeing of the workforce, and that affects the care that the health system can provide.

“We are pleased to hear that permanent telehealth is also a priority for the Premier. Telehealth is a vital lifeline for people in our regional and remote areas to connect with specialist care, especially for those living with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other people who may have limitations in travelling or accessing video technology – and we urge the new Government to permanently establish this for specialist care beyond the current date of June 30, 2022.”