medical science draft narrative

Better Medical Science

A strong, well-funded medical science sector to deliver better health outcomes for all Australians.



The time has come for governments to determine what sort of health sector Australia needs for the future.

However, our population is growing and aging, placing additional strain on the wider health sector. In order to deliver better health outcomes for all Australians, we need a firm policy for medical science that delivers a stronger sector and provides the support required for effective and fast treatment, diagnosis, health management and research.

Professionals AustraliaSTREET ADDRESS 163 Eastern Rd, South Melbourne Victoria 3205, Australia

POSTAL ADDRESS GPO Box 1272, Melbourne Victoria 3001, Australia

TELEPHONE 1300 273 762

EMAIL [email protected]

WEB www.professionalsaustralia.org.au


Dear Medical Science Professional,

Australia prides itself on having a world-class health system. Many years of investment has developed a strong network of medical scientists and medical physicists that work together with our doctors to ensure the ongoing health of all Australians. While our networks are strong, the need to consistently improve and cater for our growing population means that more needs to be done. Australia’s aging population will exacerbate this problem, as the baby-boomers move towards retirement, where health care needs are often higher.

With the challenges of a growing and aging population both expected to increase over the coming years, the time has come for governments to determine what sort of health sector we need, and what has to be done to deliver this. In order to effectively answer this question, we need a firm policy regarding medical science that addresses how we can strengthen the sector and provide the support required for effective and fast treatment, diagnosis, health management and research.

In developing a whole-of-government policy, the goal must be the improvement of medical science, to provide better health outcomes for Australians. However, public spending has become a topical issue in recent years, and governments have not been able to resist the temptation to pull money out of our health sector. Governments have also sought to push much of this vital work into the private sector and out of our hospitals. Removing the direct link between medical scientists and doctors will ultimately compromise the treatment of patients, by cutting the level of communication and increasing the time taken for results to be delivered.Any plan to strengthen and future-proof our medical science sector must involve additional funding, and an end to cost cutting. Governments need to look at how they can make our diagnostic services, research and pathology departments better, not simply how they can make them cheaper. Additional funding will encourage decision makers in hospitals and health departments to build a vision for the sector, address the short-falls in our systems, and empower our medical science professionals to deliver the best possible support for our doctors.

However, alongside additional funding, we need the right people, with the right skills. A major aspect of ensuring a strong medical science sector is to provide better support and conditions for our medical scientists and medical physicists. In order to achieve this, governments need to investment in workforce development, rather than pulling money and jobs out of the industry. This will not be achieved without rebuilding respect, recognition and reward for medical science professionals in our hospitals, pathology departments and in the wider health sector. We need to support our medical scientists and medical physicists so they can make vital contributions to Australia’s health, now and in the future.

The time to act is now if we are to effectively future proof our health system. To do this, we need to make sure we have a guiding plan for the sector, with adequate funding and the necessary skilled scientists to deliver the health outcomes that the community needs. With that, I extend an invitation to all medical science professionals to be a part of this initiative, and help shape our plan from the ground up – to make the voice of your sector stronger.Please visit: Professionalsaustralia.org.au/_________ and register your interest. Otherwise, contact [email protected].

Thank you,

Chris Walton, CEO | Professionals Australia

Chris Walton, CEO Professionals Australia

An open letter

“ In order to achieve this, governments need to investment in workforce development, rather than pulling money and jobs out of the industry.

This will not be achieved without rebuilding respect, recognition and reward for medical science professionals in our hospitals, pathology departments and in the wider health sector. ”

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— A world-class health sector is vital if we are to improve the health and quality of life for Australians in the future. However, the pressure on our health sector is only going to increase over the coming

years, as our population increases, and gets older. To effectively face these challenges, we need better funding for medical science.

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Strengthening our health sector

The consequences

Medical science professionals work in a diverse range of roles within the wider health sector. Our medical scientists study and diagnose diseases, and work directly with our doctors to better understand and manage patient care. Medical science capability is core to the delivery of an efficient, functioning health service. Pathology, one the many disciplines within medical science, is involved in approximately 70% of medical treatment decisions, and 60% of Australians will require pathology services at least once a year. In addition, medical scientists also provide expertise in complex technologies in the heath sector and often bridge the gap between IT, biomedical engineering, and clinical staff. Governments therefore rely on medical scientists to ensure they are informed purchasers of high-level, high-cost medical technologies.

However, current efforts to produce a cheaper health system are undermining the support for medical science. Better planning at government level is needed to determine our priorities, improve funding levels, and prioritise high-quality over low-cost. If the health of Australian’s is to be prioritised, we need to ensure that we are investing in our medical science professionals, providing the workforce, equipment and facilities required to strengthen the health sector.

Planning:• no current plan to improve the quality of medical science throughout Australia;• current planning prioritises low-cost over high-quality• no plan is in place to improve capacity to deal with growing and aging population;• current planning is impeding direct relationship between medical scientists and doctors; and• a lack of planning for future demand discourages workforce development.

Funding:• inadequate investment to strengthen in-house skill;• inadequate investment in strengthen and future-proof our facilities;• cuts to public sector are reducing the workforce and closing some facilities; and• low budgets compromise the effectiveness of existing facilities.

Workforce: • no workforce development framework exists to encourage the attraction and retention of quality medical scientists;• lack of funding is causing a decline in public sector skill; • response times are likely to decline due to a depletion of in-house skills;• regulators not listening to industry experts, discouraging expert opinion; and• doctors are losing the ability to liaise directly with medical scientists, which can be vital in providing the best treatment and diagnostic options.

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If Australia’s medical science sector is going to be prepared for the forecast demand growth over the coming years, we need to fix the problems now. By improving planning and coordination across all parts of the industry, we will be better placed to tackle the challenges of the future.

A thorough, well-designed plan that prioritises quality and capacity would allow decision makers to direct funds where they are most needed, and would provide a strong case for additional funding and an end to the cuts. A plan to attract, develop and retain a skilled workforce of medical scientists and medical physicists would significantly strengthen the sector. The wider health sector would be better positioned to provide effective, fast and high-quality treatments and diagnoses.

PlanningAustralia’s population is growing. According to Infrastructure Australia, the population is forecast to rise from 22.3 million in 2011 to 30.5 million in 2031. Australian’s are also living longer and the baby-boomer generation is rapidly moving towards retirement. These trends are going to place significant stress on public-sector medical science, with demand for pathology and diagnostic services expected to rise dramatically.

Alarmingly, at present there is no plan in place to manage this increase in demand, with government policy pulling funding away from medical science, rather than strengthening resources in a time of need. The private sector will not be able to fill the gap, as public pathology and medical science do the majority of the less profitable work. The public sector is also better able to liaise directly with doctors and nurses within hospitals, to provide faster, more-tailored patient care. Professionals in medical science are telling us that there is a planning problem in the sector, and that current policies are weakening their ability to provide the best-quality healthcare. To fix the industry, we must start with a plan that prioritises quality of care, and strengthens the sector for the future.

FundingThe returns from government investment in medical science far outweigh the costs, with greater funding delivering improved healthcare, innovation and disease prevention, not to mention the creation of new, marketable technologies and treatments.

However, at a time when investment is crucial, governments are cutting their funding of public-sector medical science. While our pathology departments and diagnostic services are often able to cope with the current level of demand, they are not prepared for the growth that is expected over the coming years. In order to ensure that our wider health sector is capable of managing future demand, we need to build a better-funded, better-equipped and better-staffed medical science sector. Governments have a responsibility to provide the strongest possible healthcare system, and this will only occur if the required funding is delivered.

Workforce While additional funding will go some way to improving our medical science sector, without a skilled workforce we are unlikely to receive the maximum benefit from our investment. As a result, we need to ensure that additional funding is also used to develop the workforce within public-sector medical science, rather than relying on outsourcing to the private sector.

We need to ensure that our doctors and nurses receive the best possible support from skilled medical scientists and medical physicists. In order to achieve this, policy and funding must be used to attract, develop and retain skilled staff, and the funding cuts must be stopped.

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Solution

1. Establish a whole-of-government policyTo strengthen Australia’s healthcare system and provide the support that our doctors and nurses require, we need a coherent and well-developed policy for the medical science sector. Government policy must prioritise the strength and quality of pathology and medical science in the public sector, ensuring that they are capable of meeting future demand. A guiding vision for the industry will ensure that governments at state and federal level make the necessary changes to ensure a well-funded, well-staffed medical science sector.

2. Invest in medical scienceAdditional investment in medical science will be vital over the coming years in order to drive better health outcomes and cater for a growing and aging population. This investment should recognise medical science as a fundamental part of the wider health sector. Additional funding will provide the best opportunity to plug the gaps in the current funding framework and improve patient care. However, current policies have prioritised a low-cost system over high-quality patient care. Investment in medical science should be a priority, as the provision of high-quality, fast, world-class medical science is vital in ensuring the best healthcare for Australians.

3. Strengthen public-sector capacityThe key to achieving optimal healthcare outcomes is a strong public and private sector. However, in recent years policy has focused on outsourcing a larger share of the load to the private sector. As a result, the public sector lacks the support it deserves. Without a strong public sector, the effectiveness of our medical science sector will decline, while the cost rises. Public pathology does most of the work that private pathology doesn’t make money on. They also provide training and support services which are not available elsewhere. A strong health sector for the future relies on the ongoing strength of public medical science.

4. Develop a sustainable workforceA national workforce development framework for medical scientists should be developed to provide a high-quality, experienced knowledge base within the public sector. The funding framework should provide incentives for improving public-sector knowledge, encouraging hospitals and public pathology operators to up-skill and reduce their reliance on outsourcing. Workforce development policy should also put an end to the job cuts that have plagued the industry in recent years, allowing the public sector to rebuild its workforce. Medical Science is a specialised field and skills are developed over years. Conversely, these skills can be lost in an instant if the strength of public medical science is sacrificed to cut cost.

5. Improve workforce conditionsProviding a strong medical science industry requires the attraction, development and retention of skilled medical scientists. However, low wages and systematic cuts have made the industry relatively unattractive for prospective medical scientists. A major step in rebuilding the skill base is the improvement of conditions and for medical scientists. By providing appropriate respect, recognition and reward for our medical scientists, the industry will be in the better position to attract and retain skilled staff, to provide vital support for our doctors and nurses in hospitals across Australia.

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Advancing change to achieve solutions_

Strengthening our health sector to support our medical scientists requires a plan and expert guidance. This is our plan, but it only works with your direction and input.

_

1. Identify, confirm and understand the issueTo begin, there needs to be an issue, or an opportunity. In most cases, issues lead to opportunity. We know there are issues in planning, funding and workforce development because our members have told us. Once the issues are known, we consult, research, and confirm.

2. Engage with stakeholdersThe best arguments are backed by evidence and are supported by experts. Once the issue is known, we seek out experienced industry experts and get their evidence. If our argument can be improved, we want to know.

3. Identify and test solutionsNow that we know the issue and have developed our vision for medical science, we can build the campaign. The purpose of a campaign is to identify the key stakeholders and to raise awareness of the issues. We do this by demonstrating support for the campaign and promoting the consequences if the problems are not resolved.

4. Build the campaignFor every issue to be overcome, we need a viable solution – a cure. Using the best minds at our disposal, we will develop a list of solutions, guided by industry experts. We might not win over everybody, but through gaining feedback from qualified medical scientists, we can form new solutions.

5. Create community awarenessIt is critical that decision-makers understand there is support for the solutions being presented in the campaign. Building support means engaging in activities designed to target different audiences and generate wide-spread backing. Activities include generating media coverage, writing to members, consulting with industry, engaging social media, and producing and distributing information such as flyers, posters, videos.

6. Lobby the decision-makersWe know the issue. We know the solution. We’ve collected as much support as possible, and it’s overwhelming. The next step is to package it up, and begin lobbying the decision-makers. The idea is to present our story and the arguments in a manner in which the decision-makers cannot ignore. If the argument is sound, support is strong and the solutions are deliverable and achievable, there should be no reason for the decision-makers not to listen and act. While they might not fear us, they probably fear you.

7. BargainingA key part of delivering a better medical science sector is the development, attraction and retention of a skilled workforce. Organising and bargaining is critical in achieving better career paths, job security, access to professional development, and wages and conditions that facilitate the attraction and retention of skilled medical scientists.

8. Maintain the relationshipsWe have done a lot of hard work bridging the gap between those on the ground, and those calling the shots. Regardless of the outcome, we’ll have formed valuable relationships that should be maintained. Please contact __________, at [email protected] to have your say in our plan.

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Professionals AustraliaSTREET ADDRESS 163 Eastern Rd, South Melbourne Victoria 3205, Australia

POSTAL ADDRESS GPO Box 1272, Melbourne Victoria 3001, Australia

TELEPHONE 1300 273 762

EMAIL [email protected]

WEB www.professionalsaustralia.org.au

medical science draft narrative

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