Taking care: Recent Episodes
Ahpra
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency hosts conversations and interviews with people in our community. We discuss current issues, address myths and common questions, and think about what we can do to best protect the public and support the safe delivery of health care in Australia.
This episode of Ahpra’s Taking Care podcast examines the path overseas health workers must tread when wanting to work in Australia’s health system. With the final recommendations of a wide-ranging review into Australia’s regulatory settings for international health workers being handed down soon, we look at what solutions are on the table, why they are needed, and what impact they may have in the areas health workers are most wanted.
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As the guests in this latest episode of Taking care stress, the link between our health and access to safe healthcare and the impacts of climate change are undisputable. But what is the path forward? Northern Territory specialist physician, Dr Simon Quilty, Melbourne obstetrician and gynaecologist and a member of Doctors for the Environment, Dr Ying Gu, and Canberra local and Professor of Health Equity and Director of the Menzies Centre for Health Governance at the Australian National University, Professor Sharon Friel, passionately detail their concerns, observations and what they see as the path forward. Join for a discussion that includes the current impacts at a personal and community level and the structural changes needed to address the inequities exacerbates by climate change such as housing inequality. Please recommend, subscribe and rate out podcast! If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au
In this episode of Taking care, we explore the role of physiotherapists and the broad range of care they provide to patients over the course of their life. This is especially front of mind as we celebrate World Physiotherapy Day on 8 September. Host Tash Miles is joined by Professor Kim Bennell, Director of the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine at the University of Melbourne; Rachel Nelligan, clinical physiotherapist and research fellow at the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine; and Cherie Hearn, practitioner member of the Physiotherapy Board of Australia and Director of Physiotherapy at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane.
In this episode of Taking care, host Tash Miles explores the challenges and joys of remote healthcare with consumer advocate, Carolyn Becker; Rural Doctors Association Australia CEO Peta Rutherford; and Alice Springs Hospital cardiologist Dr Angus Baumann. In this episode we explore the distribution of healthcare in rural and remote areas, and how these differences affect access for communities. Our guests share examples of the unique partnerships between patients and practitioners in rural and remote communities, as well as the considerations patients and families need to address when accessing care in these areas. Don't forget to subscribe to Taking care, and why not recommend it to a friend or colleague! If you have any questions or feedback, please email communications@ahpra.gov.au.
In this episode of Taking care, we look at the impact on consumers of not being able to access the healthcare they need due to cost considerations. Host Tash Miles is joined by Renate Hughes, consumer advocate; Dr Chris Sanzaro, dentist; and Associate Professor Amanda Neil, health economist from the University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research. We explore:
The taboo of asking about the cost of procedures before agreeing to them, and asking for other options if needed.
The costs associated with living with a disability or other chronic condition with a reliance on healthcare.
Practitioners trying to provide good care when cost is an issue.
Other ‘cost factors’ such as travel, time off work and childcare, that might affect a patient’s decisions regarding healthcare.
Make sure to subscribe and recommend this podcast to a friend or colleague. If you have feedback or comments, please email us at communications@ahpra.gov.au
Useful links from this episode
Federal Department of Health Medical Costs Finder: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/medical-costs-finder
Medicare Safety Net: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/medicare-safety-nets
Couples and families can register for the Medicare safety net: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/ms016
Pharmaceutical Benefits Safety Net: https://www.pbs.gov.au/info/healthpro/explanatory-notes/section1/Section_1_5_Explanatory_Notes
Form to register you and family members and record your PBS purchases each time you purchase medications: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/pb240
In this episode, we spotlight the important work being done to facilitate better access to safe care for people experiencing homelessness. Host Tash Miles talks to two GPs working in this space: Dr Ed Poliness is a GP at The Living Room in Victoria, and Dr Andrew Davies is a GP and founder of Homeless Healthcare in WA.
In this episode, we hear two stories of people in LGBTIQA+ communities and their experiences with healthcare. Host Tash Miles talks with clinical neuropsychologist, Board member Victorian Pride Centre, and Commissioner at the Victorian Multicultural Commission Dr Judy Tang and clinical psychologist and Senior Research Fellow Dr Lee Cubis. Judy and Lee share some of their experiences providing healthcare to LGBTQIA+ people, speaking also as members of LGBTQIA+ communities themselves. Together they discuss the changes that are necessary to ensure patient safety and equal access for all, from LGBTIQA+ perspectives.Do you have questions or comments? Email us at communications@ahpra.gov.au. You can also explore our back catalogue, subscribe and review us by searching for ‘Taking care’ in your podcast player.
What does respectful, accessible, person-centred healthcare look like for communities who come from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds? In this episode, host George Hyde speaks with infectious diseases specialist Dr Nadia Chaves, counsellor Tigist Kebede, and lawyer Sahema Saberi. It’s an important conversation about some healthcare experiences of refugees and asylum seekers, the challenges they face and how to create and sustain a multicultural and multilingual medical workforce.Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a rating or review. You can also provide feedback or ideas by emailing us at communications@ahpra.gov.au. Thanks for listening.
In this episode we look at the benefits of greater openness and candour between health practitioners, their patients and patients’ families – especially when things go wrong. Host Tash Miles speaks with Patients for Patient Safety US network founding member Sue Sheridan; UK charity Action Against Medical Accidents CEO Peter Walsh; and Australian health lawyer Michael Gorton, who is a member of the Expert Working Group for Statutory Duty of Candour in Victoria and Chair of the Alfred Hospital. Our guests discuss what could be achieved by encouraging more openness, and how to create environments where it is acceptable to acknowledge shortcomings – and seek and provide answers for patients and their families – so further harm is avoided.Do you have questions or comments? Email us at communications@ahpra.gov.au. You can also explore our back catalogue, subscribe and review us by searching for ‘Taking care’ in your podcast player.
In this episode, we hear two stories of people in LGBTIQA+ communities and their experiences with healthcare. Host Tash Miles talks with Jasper Peach a writer, editor, speaker, health promoter, and Toby Halligan, a comedian, writer, broadcaster. Do you have questions or comments? Email us at communications@ahpra.gov.au. You can also explore our back catalogue, subscribe and review us by searching for ‘Taking care’ in your podcast player.
Today we’re talking about cosmetic surgery, an industry that is rapidly changing and has had some explosive media coverage in recent times – especially through new and increased uses of social media. It’s a timely discussion of what changes are needed to improve patient safety.Host Susan Biggar begins this episode with a real story from Kate, and her good and bad experiences with cosmetic procedures.Then, Susan talks with three consumer advocates. Alan Kirkland is CEO of Choice and he is also on the expert panel for an independent review of cosmetic surgery that is currently open for submissions. Maddison Johnstone and Michael Fraser are consumer advocates and researchers.If you have any comments or questions, please get in touch at communications@ahpra.gov.au
This podcast is a about family violence. If this topic is distressing, or if you are with younger listeners, it may not be for you. If you need support in regard to sexual assault, domestic or family violence you can call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) for 24/7 phone and online services. If you, a child, or another person is in immediate danger, call 000.Family violence is a reality that many people face every day. Host Susan Biggar begins this episode with the first-hand story of a survivor, Emma, on her pathway out of family violence and her varied experiences with health practitioners on the journey.After telling some of her story, Emma is joined by Professor Kelsey Hegarty, an academic GP who holds the joint Chair in Family Violence Prevention at the University of Melbourne and the Royal Women’s Hospital and Dr Anne Tonkin, Chair of the Medical Board of Australia. Together, the guests talk about the role of practitioners in supporting patients experiencing family violence, what improvements are needed to help more survivors, as well as what happens when a practitioner is a perpetrator.Links and resources· RACGP white book· RACGP family violence toolkit· Safer Families Centre· Safer Families Readiness ProgramNot her real name
When it comes to healthcare, what is safe culture? If safe culture exists, then what does unsafe culture look like, and what does this mean for patients and their families? In this episode, Susan Biggar speaks with Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Executive and Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the UK, Martin Fletcher, CEO of Ahpra and Adjunct Professor Debora Picone, CEO of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare. Our three guests share their experiences and opinions, as well as examples of what they see around them. We hear key challenges in creating good working environments in healthcare settings, improvements that are happening right now, and what they want for a safer health workforce across all contexts. Find us on Spotify, Apply Podcasts, or wherever you might find your podcasts by searching for ‘Taking care’ and hitting subscribe.If you have any feedback or ideas for episodes, please get in touch by writing to communications@ahpra.gov.au
When we talk about healthcare, the most important part is the patients. Today’s episode is about what it has been like to be a patient during a pandemic. Tash Miles speaks to Krystal, who has chronic cancer and had jaw surgery this year, Aidan, who has cystic fibrosis, and Tess, who has been a carer and has had other interactions with the healthcare system through the pandemic. We hear about about the changes they’ve seen – what’s been hard, what’s been better and how they have maintained connection with their practitioners and their support networks.Be sure to check out Krystal’s podcast First Time Feelings.Please rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts – just search for ‘Taking care.’ If you have comments, questions or feedback, email as at communications@ahpra.gov.au.
In this episode, Susan Biggar speaks with Dr Rod Hunt, neonatologist and scientist at Monash Health, Professor Suzette Woodward, Visiting Professor in Patient Safety at Imperial College, London and Michael Greco, CEO of Care Opinion Australia. Susan asks our guests, when it comes to healthcare, what is safe culture? If safe culture exists, then what does unsafe culture look like, and what does this mean for patients and their families? Our three guests share their experiences and opinions, as well as examples of what they see around them. We hear key challenges in creating good working environments in healthcare settings, improvements that are happening right now, and what they want for a safer health workforce across all contexts. Find us on Spotify, Apply Podcasts, or wherever you might find your podcasts by searching for ‘Taking care’ and hitting subscribe.If you have any feedback or ideas for episodes, please get in touch by writing to communications@ahpra.gov.au
For the second part of this series, host Tash Miles talks to a doctor and nurse about what it has been like for them working, and living, through the global COVID-19 pandemic. Both guests live and work in Victoria, a state hit hard with long lockdowns and high case numbers. Join Dr Gavin Wayne, paediatric basic trainee, and Ralph Teodoro, registered nurse, for stories and experiences that stand out to them, personally and professionally, as they share what they’ve learned, what they’ve cherished, and the strange turns their lives are taking.Please subscribe to new episodes on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can rate us on Apple Podcasts, too. And if you have any feedback, please email communications@ahpra.gov.au.
In this episode, host Tash Miles talks to two doctors about some of their experiences over the past two years. From NSW, Dr Charles Jenkinson, cardiothorasic surgeon final year trainee and Chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Trainees' Association and from Victoria, Dr Sophie Thorn, junior doctor working in an emergency department. Join for stories and experiences that stand out to them, personally and professionally, as they share what they’ve learned, what they’ve cherished, and the strange turns their lives are taking.Don’t forget to subscribe to new episodes on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can rate us on Apple Podcasts, too. And if you have any feedback, please email communications@ahpra.gov.au.
What does improvement in healthcare look like? It’s critically important for our health system because sustained improvement that tracks with the science and evidence will mean improved patient safety. Our guests are all involved in a unique program called The Healthcare Improvement Fellowship run by Clinical Excellence Queensland. Dr Michael Tresillian is general physician and Program Director for the Healthcare Improvement Fellowship. Sari Holland is a midwife and unit manager at Townsville Hospital and Health Service. She was a 2020 Fellow of the program. Shailendra Maharaj, is a physiotherapist at Queensland Children’s Hospital and a current Fellow.Thank you for listening to Taking Care. Please don’t forget to find us on Spotify, Apply Podcasts, or wherever you prefer to listen to podcasts by searching for ‘Taking care’. You can subscribe, review or just join us on your morning walk as you listen to our hefty back catalogue. If you have any feedback or ideas for episodes, please drop us a line at communications@ahpra.gov.au. We’ll see you next time.
What is long COVID? What are some of the effects, who is most at risk and what can be done to help those who suffer from it? Host George Hyde is joined by Scott Willis, National President of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, A/Prof Dale Edgar, who is leading the longitudinal study on the effects of COVID termed LATER-19 and Dr Paula Harding, a musculoskeletal physiotherapist at the Alfred Hospital prior to COVID-19, who in 2021 was appointed as the Allied Health Workforce Manager for the COVID-19 response. In line with World Physical Therapy Day, our guests discuss the long-term problems faced by those after recovering from original COVID-19 infection, as well as opportunities for the future of the profession during and after the pandemic.You can listen and subscribe on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and by searching ‘Taking care’ in your podcast player.If you have questions or feedback, please email communications@ahpra.gov.au.To read about LATER-19, see A/Prof Edgar’s paper.
This episode is about VAD, or voluntary assisted dying, and the realities of legalising VAD for doctors, patients and our broader communities. Host Tash Miles speaks with television and podcast presenter and founder of Go Gentle Australia, Andrew Denton, oncologist Dr Cameron McLaren and regional Victorian GP Dr Nola Maxfield.Victoria was the first Australian state to pass VAD laws, coming into effect in 2019. Our guests reflect on what this has meant for patient safety and choice in dying, what challenges have arisen and what the future could hold.LinksIf you have found themes of this episode upsetting, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. DRS4DRS offer an independent, safe, supportive and confidential service for medical practitioners drs4drs.com.au.· Healthcare Professions for Assisted Dying Choice· Go Gentle Australia· Our first conversation about VAD with Dr Charlie Corke and Dr Scott Blackwell on the law and patient choice
In this episode, host Susan Biggar begins our conversation on a sensitive and important issue that is relevant for all of us at some point: choices at the end of life. The law in Australia has changed in several states in the past two years regarding voluntary assisted dying (VAD) and possible legislative changes are being considered in others. Susan is joined by two doctors with extensive experience and interest in the law and its application in the context of VAD: intensive care specialist and Deputy Chair of the VAD Review Board in Victoria, Dr Charlie Corke, and medical practitioner and Chair of the VAD Board in Western Australia, Dr Scott Blackwell.Don’t forget to subscribe for future episodes, including a second episode on VAD, and to wander through our ever-growing back catalogue by searching for ‘Taking care’ in your podcast player. To provide feedback or ask a question, email communications@ahpra.gov.auIf this episode has raised issues for you, there is help available. You can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or at www.lifeline.org.au or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 or at beyondblue.org.au
In this episode, host Tash Miles hits the open road (metaphorically) to hear the student perspective on healthcare in rural and remote communities. We meet podiatry student Hayley Johns, medical student Harry Gaffney and medical student and pharmacist Debra Lee. We hear about the unique opportunities presented when living and working in outside of metropolitan centres. The three guests offer reflections on pandemic life in rural and remote communities as well as the unexpected benefits of this life. They have a lot to tell us about how these experiences are shaping them as budding healthcare professionals and as humans. Don’t forget to subscribe for future episodes and to explore our ever-growing back catalogue by searching for ‘Taking care’ in your podcast player. To give us any feedback or ask a question, email communications@ahpra.gov.au
In this episode, host Susan Biggar talks with two women in surgery, vascular surgeon, Dr Pecky De Silva, and breast, endocrine and general surgeon, Dr Christine Lai. This is part two of a two-part series on women in surgery. In professions that are underrepresented by women, we hear what this means for the women who work in surgery, and what changes they would like to see. Pecky and Christine share their training paths and some of the barriers and assumptions they’ve encountered as they have progressed through their careers. They talk about the support they received within the profession and how having greater female representation amongst surgeons is important for patient safety and better outcomes.Don’t forget to subscribe for future episodes and to explore our back catalogue by searching for ‘Taking care’ in your podcast player. For feedback and questions, please email communications@ahpra.gov.au.
In this episode, host Susan Biggar talks with two women in surgery, Dr Victoria Atkinson, cardiac surgeon and Chief Medical Officer of Healthscope and Dr Vera Sallen, orthopaedic surgeon. This is part one of a two-part series on women in surgery. In professions that are underrepresented by women, we hear what this means for the women who work in surgery, and what changes they would like to see. Victoria and Vera tell us their stories of becoming surgeons, successes they see around them as well as frustrations they still feel. They tell us about the feeling when they look around the theatre and they are surrounded by women, what it felt like to progress through their careers as female surgeons and the pros and cons of quotas in their workplace.Don’t forget to subscribe for future episodes and of course peruse our back catalogue by searching for ‘Taking care’ in your podcast player. For feedback and questions, please email communications@ahpra.gov.au.
In this episode we are talking about leadership: what it’s like to be a leader and a health practitioner, what the journey to leadership might look like and how to best lead other practitioners. Tash Miles talks to two prominent leaders, who are also health practitioners. Jeff Moffett was a physiotherapist and is the Chief Executive of the Western Australia Country Health Service. He is also a member of Ahpra’s governing board, the Agency Management Committee. Professor Catherine Stoddart is a Registered Nurse and recently finished her role as the Chief Executive Officer for the Department of Health in the Northern Territory. Catherine and Jeff reflect on how training as a health practitioner has equipped them to be better leaders, the similarities and the differences between clinical care and being the leader of a large health system. Tune in for their valuable lessons, reflections, stories as well as hopes for what’s next and the future generation of leaders.Don’t forget to subscribe for future episodes and of course peruse our back catalogue by searching for ‘Taking care’ in your podcast layer. For feedback and questions, please email communications@ahpra.gov.au. Until next time, take care.
In this episode of Taking care, host Susan Biggar speaks to an impressive leader and advocate for those living with mental health issues, Maggie Toko. Maggie has led VMIAC, Victoria’s peak organisation for people with a lived experience of mental health problems or emotional distress for nearly two decades.Maggie puts a face to some of the people who need access to better care and support, and how she has seen the value of lived experience in building meaningful relationships and providing strong support for them. Hear how her own lived experience has also helped her to lead and develop mental health services throughout her career.Please email us with any feedback or questions at communications@ahpra.gov.au. You can also listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player.
What does aged care look like, how is it changing and what should we be hoping for? Tash Miles poses these questions, and more, to three guests with unique and expert insights into aged care: Dr Linda Mellors, CEO and Managing Director, Regis Aged Care, Dr Joseph Ibrahim, Geriatrician, Monash University and Allyson Warrington, CEO Community Based Support and community member of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. The discussion focuses on the importance of those working in the aged care sector and the findings of the recent Royal Commission into Aged Care. Our guests also unpack both the government and community response, and highlight the need for aged care to be a valued part of our communities. Join us for a very relevant and important discussion that reminds us of the need to have compassion for the needs of the older people among us. Search for Taking Care in your podcast player to subscribe to all the latest episodes and to explore previous episodes for more interesting conversations. Email us at communications@ahpra.gov.au if you have any questions or comments or just want to get in touch.
Today, we hear from Dr Anna van der Gaag, visiting Professor in Ethics and Regulation and member of the International Ethics Observatory team at University of Surrey UK and former Chair of the Health and Care Professions Council and Emeritus Professor Valerie Braithwaite, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University.Our guests join host Susan Biggar to discuss kindness across the healthcare spectrum, from regulatory strategies and leadership techniques to compassion in workplaces. Reflecting on the movement in healthcare in recent years towards an emphasis on kindness in the workplace for health practitioners, in this episode we take a look upstream to what is the role of kindness in how our health professions are regulated, and what that means for our communities.Listen to the Taking Care podcast episode that Val mentions called Dr Gerald Hickson on patient safety and high-risk practitioners.Anna mentions the Freedom to Speak Up Guardians in England.Search for Taking Care in your podcast player to subscribe to all the latest episodes and to wander through our archives for more interesting conversations. Email us at communications@ahpra.gov.au if you have any questions or comments or just want to get in touch.
What does safe and accessible healthcare look like? In this episode, Tash Miles welcomes Hamza Vayani, Board Director of the World Wellness Group and member of Ahpra’s Community Reference Group, and Darlene Cox, Executive Director of Health Care Consumers’ Association Incorporated. They explore what access could look like for all communities, and some of the barriers for people achieving it. How do we open the door to all corners of our community and ensure that people can access the care and information they need? And, when things don’t go right, how do we make sure complaints are heard and acted on?Search for Taking Care in your podcast player to subscribe to all the latest episodes and to browse our archives for more great conversations. Email us at communications@ahpra.gov.au if you have any questions or comments.
Today, we hear from Dr Gerald Hickson, the founder of the Vanderbilt Centre for Patient and Professional Advocacy. Jerry talks with host Tash Miles about professionalism in the healthcare context. Professionalism is key to keeping patients and practitioners safe and effective, and a crisis magnifies this need to pursue professionalism. Hear Jerry’s insights on how health practitioners and leaders prepare for a crisis, how practice has changed in this current crisis, and how this keeps their patients safe.Learn more about the work of Jerry and his team on the Vanderbilt Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy website.Search for Taking Care in your podcast player to subscribe to all the latest episodes and to browse our archives for more great conversations. Email us at communications@ahpra.gov.au if you have any questions or comments.
In this episode Susan Biggar is in conversation with Adjunct Clinical Professor Brett Sutton, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, and Dr Jeannette Young, Queensland’s Chief Health Officer. Both Jeannette and Brett are essential leaders and decision-makers in our ever-changing health crisis, and they talk about their experience of being suddenly thrown into the spotlight because their job is key to communicating about, and advising on, a global health pandemic. Tune in to hear about the challenges they’ve faced, what has been rewarding and their unexpected celebrity status.DRS4DRS offer an independent, safe, supportive and confidential service. You can visit their website drs4drs.com.au or call 1300 374 377 (1300 Dr4Drs). For patients, or anyone else needing mental health or wellbeing support, Beyond Blue is available on 1300 22 4636 or online at www.beyondblue.org.au. Lifeline can provide crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or go online to www.lifeline.org.au.Don’t forget to subscribe to Taking Care in your podcast player, and email any feedback to communications@ahpra.gov.au.
This episode is a look to our eyes: we are talking optometry, and how our eye health might be changing. Join Tash Miles in conversation with two optometrists, Tim Martin and Luke Arundel. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in reliance on technology and more time spent indoors for work, study and social connection, and health practitioners are seeing these effects. We are curious about how our pandemic-adjusted lives have affected our eyes, and whether there are any other trends or anomalies that optometrists are seeing.Luke and Tim share lots of interesting information, tips and tricks for practitioners, patients, parents and the public. Luke encourages a visit Good vision for life for more useful resources and reminders.Remember to search for ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player to subscribe and find other episodes. If you have feedback or questions, our email address is communications@ahpra.gov.au.
What makes a safe and qualified doctor? Why do we need a diverse health workforce, and how do we ensure we have one? These are some of the big questions guiding this episode.Host Susan Biggar is joined by Dr Dinesh Palipana, an Australian doctor, lawyer and disability advocate with a very unique and relevant story, and Dr Susan O’Dwyer, a practitioner member on the Medical Board of Australia and a medical administrator in Queensland.Listen to Dinesh’s journey to becoming Australia’s first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland, Australia. In this episode, he shares some of his challenges, what he learned and some victories – expected and unexpected, overt and hidden. Susan O’Dwyer describes the perspective of the regulator when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public in registering health practitioners, and why it’s important to encourage diversity in the workforce.If you have any feedback or questions, please email communications@ahpra.gov.au. To hear more episodes of our podcast, please subscribe to ‘Taking Care’, wherever you get your podcasts.In this episode there’s mention of suicide. If this topic makes you anxious, it causes distress or if you have children with you, it might not be for you. Please reach out to someone who can help keep you safe or you could always call Lifeline on 1300 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
Host Susan Biggar transports us to the Kimberley to embark on a fascinating conversation with Dr Katie Gault, a GP who is living and practicing medicine in Derby, West Australia. Katie dives right to the heart of her experience working in an iconic remote setting that most of us rarely experience, of the joys and challenges that come with that work. She practices in an Indigenous community whose daily health concerns are often complex and deeply rooted in intergenerational trauma.Here are a few resources that Katie recommends:A short animation by Healing Foundation, describing intergenerational traumaThis is a link to the Kimberley suicide prevention trial, a recent successful advertisement campaign created by the Derby Aboriginal Health Services to highlight positive Indigenous role models.Ahpra releases a new episode every fortnight, discussing current topics and the latest issues affecting safe healthcare in Australia. You can also listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player. If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au
In this special Taking care episode, we bring you an important conversation about the meaning of January 26 as Ahpra and the National Boards strive to embed cultural safety in the health system.We recognise that 26 January is not a date for celebration for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Many consider it a day of mourning, referring to it as Invasion Day, or Survival Day. It is a date that marks the beginning of deliberate, systemic and catastrophic racism and violence against Indigenous Peoples. For others, it is also a day to mark the survival of ongoing traditions and cultures.To deepen this conversation and re-educate ourselves as we strive for cultural safety in healthcare, Aphra hosted a conversation between three leaders working to bring equity to the system. In this special episode, join Ahpra Chief Executive Martin Fletcher as he discusses the significance of the day with Aboriginal GP and Associate Professor at the School of Medicine at Griffith University, Shannon Springer, Chair of the Podiatry Board, Cylie Williams and Co-CEO PricewaterhouseCoopers Indigenous Consulting, Ms Jodie Sizer.You can also listen to other episodes of Taking Care and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player. If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au
What have we learnt about healthcare delivery during the pandemic and what role will telehealth play in the future delivery of care?Host Tash Miles continues the conversation about telehealth with physiotherapist, Joel Stephens from WA, Victorian healthcare consumer Kate Ellis, and Tasmanian GP Dr Maureen Ryan. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Australian health practitioners switched to a telehealth model – where practitioners delivered care over the phone or video conference, instead of face-to-face. As we can safely return to some face-to-face delivery, albeit in a still-changing world, we reflect on what has been learned from telehealth delivery during the pandemic and how that will translate into healthcare delivery in the future. Join for a discussion of what’ we've learned, what's worked well and what hasn't, and how patients, practitioners and families want their future healthcare interactions to look.Ahpra releases a new episode every fortnight, discussing current topics and the latest issues affecting safe healthcare in Australia. You can also listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player. If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au
After months of strict public health restrictions, many in the community are reacting and responding to the ‘new normal’, what it means for us individually and our day-to-day life. For the dental profession, that has meant adapting to change for both practitioners and the public. Host Tash Miles speaks with Dr Robert Mayne, an orthodontist in private practice based in Victoria, Dr Neda Nikolovski, a senior prosthetist working for Queensland Health, and Luisa Interligi, Executive Officer of the Dental Board of Australia. The conversation focuses on dental practitioners responding and adapting to the pandemic and public health restrictions, how this affects their patients and the public, and what the future might look like for the professionIf you’re a dental patient, you can find tips to make sure you are getting safe care on the Dental Board’s website. If you’re a dental practitioner, remember that Dental Practitioner Support is available 24/7 by phoning 1800 377 700. You might like to check out the service’s website which has information about many aspects of health and wellbeing.Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player, and if you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au
In this episode, Ahpra’s leadership sits down to discuss the role and challenges of regulating practitioners and protecting the public.Host Susan Biggar is joined by Ahpra CEO, Martin Fletcher, and Chair of Aphra’s Agency Management Committee and CEO of Mind Australia, Gill Callister.They speak about the challenges of health regulation, including community awareness of where to report health concerns while still ensuring due diligence, and identifying and prioritising accessibility for vulnerable communities.Please listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player. If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au
What should we, as members of the public, think about the advertising we’re exposed to? For health practitioners, what is appropriate advertising and why is it important to get it right? In this episode, we discuss some of the risks, opportunities and nuances of advertising for regulated health services.Anne Burgess, a community member, Chiropractic Board of Australia; Dr Dominic Aouad, a dental practitioner in Sydney who provides education on compliance and regulation; and Ruanne Brell, senior solicitor, Medicolegal Advisory Service, Avant join host Susan Biggar to speak about the importance of responsible advertising; the increasing use of social media; testimonials; protected titles; prizes, gifts and inducements; third party sites; and possible consequences for practitioners who don’t do the right thing.The revisedGuidelines for advertising a regulated health serviceand the updatedAdvertising compliance and enforcement strategy for the National Scheme are available on the National Boards’ and Ahpra websites.If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au. Listen and subscribe by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player.
Nurses and midwives play a big part in delivering mental healthcare. This care is valued and important to their patients and families. How they care for their own mental health is also important. Liz Wilkes, an experienced midwife; Diane Lee, a nurse working at the Nurse & Midwife Support; Cassandra Jovic, who also works at Nurse & Midwife Support; and new mum Kirsty join host Tash Miles for this episode. They speak about the mental health challenges of new mothers and the support that is needed for both patients and practitioners. We mention Nurse and Midwife Support on this podcast. It’s a free, confidential 24/7 national support service for Australian nurses, midwives and their families. You can call them on 1800 667 877 or go online to www.nmsupport.org.au. For patients, or anyone else needing mental health or wellbeing support, Beyond Blue is available on 1300 22 4636 or online at www.beyondblue.org.au. Lifeline can provide crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or go online to www.lifeline.org.au.If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au. Please subscribe to our podcast by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player.
As part of delivering holistic healthcare, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners work with many other health professionals to protect the public, and especially their communities. Tash Miles talks to Health Practitioners and their colleagues to find out what this collaboration means to them and community, and the potential for the future. Listen to an insightful discussion with Renee Owen, Program Manager, Aboriginal Health at Barwon Health, Mandy Miller, Midwife, Koori Maternity Service, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, Dr Ed Poliness, GP, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative and Damien Rigney, Registered nurse and Aboriginal Health Practitioner, Aboriginal Health Council South Australia. Each guest brings a range of perspectives, centred around a strong connection and acknowledgment of the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners in our healthcare system.If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au.You can also listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and by searching ‘Taking Care’ in your podcast player.
This episode is a conversation about sexual misconduct in the health professions. This is a topic that is not often discussed and, although its occurrence is rare, it can be very harmful to those who are affected by it. Host Susan Biggar speaks with Professor Ron Paterson, Professor of Law at the University of Auckland who conducted an independent review in 2017 of the use of chaperones by Ahpra and the National Boards to protect patients in the context of allegations of sexual misconduct or boundary violations, and Christine Gee who is CEO of Toowong Private Hospital in Queensland and Chair of the Medical Board of Australia's Sexual Boundaries Notifications Committee and a member of the Queensland Board of the Medical Board of Australia. Christine and Ron both have extensive knowledge on the issues, challenges and nuances of sexual misconduct, and they speak with a focus on recent changes in how it is addressed by Ahpra and the National Boards.Don't forget to subscribe to 'Taking Care' in your podcast player, and if you have any feedback, please email us at communications@ahpra.gov.au
In this episode of Taking Care, host Tash Miles speaks to three guests currently working in mental healthcare in Victoria, the Australian state hardest hit by COVID-19.Clinical psychologist Dr Gemma Sharp, psychiatrist and medical educator Associate Professor Rob Selzer, and psychiatrist Dr Rebecca Hope discuss the effect the pandemic is having on our collective mental health, who is seeking mental healthcare, and what that care looks like. The importance of good mental health—and healthcare—has come into an even sharper focus through this pandemic. As more people are seeking support, practitioners are needing to adapt to new ways of working and helping their patients. If you are concerned for the mental health of yourself, a friend or a family member there is help available. If you would like support or information about depression or anxiety you can call beyondblue on 1300 22 4636. They also have an email and webchat at www.beyondblue.org.au. Lifeline is there to talk to anyone about emotional distress, crisis support and suicide prevention. Call 13 11 14, send a text message or webchat at www.lifeline.org.au. The Butterfly Foundation provides support, care, referrals and resources about eating disorders. You can call them on 1800 33 4673, email or webchat at www.butterfly.org.au.If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au.
This episode discusses children's healthcare, including the changes, challenges and innovations in providing care to children care including during the pandemic. Host Susan Biggar is joined by Paediatrician Professor Kim Oates. Professor Oates has an extensive career in children’s health including many years with the Westmead Children’s Hospital. He’s seen the system change from a focus on illness to a whole child approach to care. Professor Oates also reflects on is work with vulnerable children and the changes he’s seen to improve support for such children and their families.While acknowledging children have generally fared well from COVID-19 symptoms, there have been downstream impacts, which we will continue to see in the coming months and years. Professor Oates also talks about the positive influence of the pandemic on paediatric care, such as the creation of a virtual hospital and new methods of online communications.If you have questions or feedback about the podcast, email communications@ahpra.gov.au
In this episode, we discuss medical training and what it’s like to be a Doctor in Training. Host Tash Miles speaks with Dr Hash Abdeen, Chair of the AMA Council of Doctors in Training, Associate Professor Stephen Adelstein, a supervisor and Medical Board of Australia member and Dr Ekta Paw, prevocational trainee. We hear about the issues and rewards of embarking on the long, dynamic journey of medical training. When asked what the future of medical training could be, the guests discuss innovations, challenges, and how the Medical Training Survey plays a role in influencing a better future for all doctors, and better care for their patients
This episode is a look at what it’s like for patients, and the health practitioners who are working with them, in this strange, changing pandemic context. As the COVID-19 pandemic was first reaching Australia, Kath was diagnosed with brain cancer. She shares how not being able to be visited by her friends, and only select family members, is amplified during already difficult period of her life when she most needs support and connection. Host Susan Biggar asks three health practitioners, Ash Scoular, Professor Harvey Newnham and Dr Carmel Crock, for their views and stories on what it’s like caring for patients, their families and themselves during this difficult time. We hear about the multitude of challenges, but also the innovations and improvements that could shape the future of health care beyond the pandemic.
This episode is a look at what it means to be on a National Board, from the practical, professional and the personal perspectives. Join Tash Miles as she talks to Jen Morris, who is on the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia, and Mark Marcenko, Chair of the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia. We hear about what goes in to making important decisions about the health professions they regulate, why diversity of perspectives is so important, and what the role of the Boards is when something goes wrong.
In this episode, we talk to health practitioners who work in rural and remote areas. Pharmacist Hannah Mann, podiatrist Amy Nelson and optometrist Lauren Hutchinson talk to host Tash Miles about this important and unique part of the Australian health landscape. We hear about some of the benefits and challenges faced by patients and practitioners in rural and remote areas of our country.Each of the three practitioners emphasise the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners in ensuring safe care for their patients, and also tell stories of memorable and rewarding experiences in their roles. Join us for a glimpse into the life of practitioners who work on the road, in the clinic and everywhere in between to deliver healthcare to some of our most vulnerable, and special, communities.
In this episode, Professor Kieran Walshe joins Susan Biggar to discuss the purpose of health professions regulation and what kind of problems it is trying to fix. They talk about how regulators have choices about how they want to regulate, what those choices are and how and why regulators make them. Professor Walshe is Professor of Health Policy and Management at Alliance Manchester Business School, and Director of Health and Care Research Wales, and he underscores how different styles and priorities can influence how a regulator protects the public. Join this conversation about health regulation currently and important future changes and trends ahead.
Professor Valerie Braithwaite is a professor in the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University. Her research explores the importance of trust in public and private institutions. This podcast was recorded before the outbreak of the COVID-19 hit Australia, but Professor’s Braithwaite’s reflections and insights on trust are relevant and astute in this unprecedented context.Susan Biggar talks to Professor Braithwaite about trust, what happens when it is lost and how organisations, especially regulators, can become more trustworthy. They discuss signs of the public having trust and confidence in regulators, and how regulators might work with communities and other organisations to foster greater trust. Professor Braithwaite has found that if the public sees the regulator as bringing benefits and delivering more fairness to the system, then they feel a moral obligation to accept that regulation and cooperate with the regulator. We hear how this can manifest in behaviours, or ‘postures’ and that trust is complex, but incredibly important to effective regulation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has this year brought exceptional challenges for health professionals, with many practitioners facing increasing daily pressure and for some, new anxiety. In this episode of Taking Care, Dr Jane Munro, Dr Kym Jenkins and Margie Stuchbery share personal and professional insights from their respective fields as a paediatric rheumatologist, a psychiatrist, and a clinical psychologist. Host Susan Biggar discusses with our guests the challenges of the current situation, the value of connection and some strategies for staying healthy and safe. We hear about the Pandemic Kindness movement, led by Dr Jane Munro, a valuable repository of resources, information and a connected community that emerged from the pandemic. Join us to reflect, learn and consider what practitioner wellbeing means in the pandemic era and beyond.
Telehealth is on the rise in Australia since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the opportunities, how to best provide safe care using technology and how telehealth may continue to increase beyond the ‘pandemic era’. Join Tash Miles in conversations with physiotherapist Dr Viktoria Molloy, podiatrist Michael Nitschke and occupational therapist Leanne Hopkins for a range of perspectives across different health professions. We hear stories from their telehealth experiences, how these practitioners are adapting and also how they can incorporate pre-pandemic practice, techniques and tools into their healthcare delivery.
Ahpra and the National Boards have launched a pandemic sub-register on April 6th to fast track the return to the workforce of experienced and qualified health practitioners in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking Care welcomes Alison McMillan, the Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer; Dr Chris Zappala, Vice-President of the AMA and respiratory physician; and Brett Simmonds, Chair of the Pharmacy Board of Australia. Join us for a discussion on the opportunities and implications of the sub-register. Susan Biggar discusses with the guests how vulnerable practitioners might be affected, what these returning practitioners might do as a 'surge workforce' and how the sub-register could look in further iterations.
Dr Gerald B. Hickson, MD is from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he works in the Department of Pediatrics. There, he has worked there since 1982 in multiple capacities. Since 1990, Dr Hickson’s research has focused on why families choose to file suit and how to identify and intervene with high-risk physicians and in 2003, he founded the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy. Dr Hickson joins Susan Biggar in conversation about the patient safety movement and the important changes he has seen. They discuss how to best identify and intervene with high risk situations and the importance of open disclosure and feedback in achieving safer, more satisfactory outcomes. Dr Hickson talks about the ‘culture of safety’: how to promote it and how to address behaviours that undermine it. Listen to this important conversation that expands the scope of healthcare delivery beyond the practitioners to also include those receiving care, and their families.Please subscribe to Taking Care in your podcast player. You can find more information about Taking Care on the Ahpra website. If you have any feedback for the podcast, please email communications@ahpra.gov.au
In this episode, we listen to inaugural co-Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Group, Professor Gregory Phillips and incoming co-Chair Karl Briscoe talk to Tash Miles. They discuss the importance and relevance of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020-2025 (the Strategy) in achieving cultural safety and Closing the Gap.The Strategy’s vision is that ‘Patient safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is the norm. We recognise that patient safety includes the inextricably linked elements of clinical and cultural safety, and that this link must be defined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.’ This will guide the work of the National Scheme and marks an important development in health regulation in Australia.In this episode we hear how the Strategy came to be, listen to stories of memorable moments in its development and what the future could hold in an environment of increased cultural safety in Australian healthcare. This important conversation also acknowledges the many people and organisations involved in developing and delivering the Strategy.
In early March 2020, amendments to the legislation on mandatory notifications came into effect. This presents a unique and important opportunity to talk about their impact on public safety and health practitioners. Susan Biggar and Tash Miles speak to Dr Andy Tagg, an emergency medicine physician, Dr Caroline Johnson, a GP and registrar support and progress coordinator, and Ms Kaye Frankcom, a clinical and counselling psychologist. Listen to them discuss what mandatory notifications mean for treating practitioners and their practitioner-patients. Most importantly, the guests emphasise the importance of all practitioners seeking help without fear of being reported, especially as the new amendments raise the threshold for when a mandatory notification is needed.
This episode of Taking Care is a conversation between Martin Fletcher, the CEO of Ahpra, and Tash Miles. They talk about what Ahpra and the National Boards can and cannot do under the National Scheme, as well as the importance of the many key players in a bigger health care system. Martin explains how the scheme helps to keep the public safe through its various roles and relationships. Martin highlights how the free public register of practitioners is there to help protect all Australians in health care, and how Ahpra is working to inform and engage with the public so that they access the register. We also hear Martin talk about the concerns that are raised about practitioners to Ahpra, how we manage those concerns and what the future of health regulation might look like to ensure it is effective, fair and trustworthy.
An interview with Kate Richards, award-winning author and medical researcher who trained as a doctor. As a student and trainee doctor, Kate experienced serious mental health issues, involving many hospital admissions and significant encounters with the health system while simultaneously training to provide that care to others. She talks about challenges for students and young trainee doctors, particularly those facing a health or mental health issue. From the patient perspective, she speaks of the vulnerabilities, power imbalance and serious obstacles that patients can face in their effort to access good, safe and humane health care. She also compares her profession as a writer with that of a doctor.
Dr Anne Tonkin, Chair of the Medical Board of Australia, reflects on Ahpra’s videos featuring first-person accounts of what it is like to be the subject of a notification, or a complaint, from the perspective of a registered health practitioner. In a discussion with Susan Biggar, she talks about what the Medical Board and Ahpra can learn from these accounts of their notification experiences and what could be done to improve it for all people involved in the process. Dr Tonkin also talks about changes that are already happening and what they mean for practitioners and the public.
In this episode, our guests spark deeper conversations about the public perception of good health practice.Host Tash Miles is joined by Dr George Taleporos, policy manager at the Summer Foundation and disability advocate; Dorothy McLaren, consumer health advocate with a particular focus on the needs of rural health consumers; and Richelle McCausland, the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner.They remind us that the public assumes safe, competent and ethical health care from their health practitioners, and provides insight on what this looks like for them and their communities.
The who, what, why—and what can be done about vexatious notificationsVexatious complaints (or notifications) are a concern for health practitioners, who fear that wrong motives could provoke a patient or colleague to report them to the regulator inappropriately. We hear from a range of perspectives on this contentious issue as we speak to Associate Professor Marie Bismark at University of Melbourne; Kate Griggs, a health consumer advocate and member of AHPRA’s consumer reference group; Dr Sara Bird, manager of medico-legal and advisory services at MDA National; and the National Director of Notifications for AHPRA, Matthew Hardy.This episode provides some defining characteristics of vexatious notifications and how common they are. It also looks at the impact they have on practitioners and explores how the regulator is working to identify, respond to and prevent vexatious notifications from occurring.