Advocacy

20 Dec 2024

12 Dec 2024 | Advocacy – Public | Media release | AOA Media | Ahpra | Advocacy || AOA

AOA, the peak professional body for orthopaedic surgeons in Australia, is urging Australia’s Health Ministers to carefully balance the need for immediate solutions while maintaining high orthopaedic standards of care in order to address rural workforce shortages.

03 Dec 2024 | Letter | Ahpra | Advocacy – Public || AOA

It is essential to address widespread confusion among patients, clinicians, and administrators who often do not distinguish between the dental specialist title 'oral surgeon' and the medical/surgical specialist title 'oral and maxillofacial surgeon'. These two distinct groups of practitioners encompass vastly different qualifications, training, and scopes of practice.

14 Nov 2024 | Ahpra | Podiatry | Advocacy – Public || AOA

Whilst podiatric proceduralists are skilled in their field, they have not had the depth of surgical training and qualifications of medical specialists in surgery. The term ‘surgical’ creates confusion and the impression in the community that podiatric proceduralists are competent in undertaking surgical procedures requiring accreditation under Australian Medical Council (AMC) standards. This is untrue and the proposal should not be supported.

10 Jul 2024 | Submission | Regulation | Advocacy – Public | Ahpra || AOA

Genuine assessment for registration requires not just review of surgical competence but also of ethical conduct and decision-making skills. It takes time, effort and expertise. It should not be discarded in favour of checklists as an attempt to speed up processes or to patch up deficiencies created by long-term government failures to properly resource and support the training of Australian surgeons.

06 May 2024 | Podiatry | Advocacy – Public || AOA, AOFAS

Unless and until operative podiatrists have properly embedded rigorous standards for training and continuing professional development, regulated by an appropriate accrediting body and aligned with the standards of all other surgeons in Australia, any reference to surgery in the title of podiatrists electing to perform surgery will continue to mislead patients and expose them to harm.

10 Apr 2024 | Spine | Advocacy – Public || AOA, SSA, NSA

The unbalanced views portrayed by Four Corners in its ‘Pain Factory’ episode (08/04/24) should be of great concern to the Australian community, particularly to those reasonably considering treatment for painful and disabling spinal conditions, for which safety and efficacy are well established.

06 Oct 2023

31 Jan 2023 | Advocacy – Public

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) is seeking public feedback on its Draft data strategy. The strategy proposes changes to the way data is collected and stored.

06 Dec 2022 | Advocacy – Public | Operating room | Media release

A recent ABC 7.30 Report segment presented concerning claims that medical device representatives are upselling products to surgeons in operating theatres. These claims grossly devalue the high standard of ethical healthcare upheld by members of the AOA.

05 Aug 2022 | Advocacy – Public

The Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) is pleased to provide a response to the Australian Commission for Quality and Safety in Health Care draft Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme Standards.

05 Apr 2022 | Podiatry | Advocacy – Public | Submission || AOA, AOFAS

The Australian Orthopaedic Association and the Australian Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society welcome the opportunity to submit a response regarding the “Use of the title ‘surgeon’ by medical practitioners in the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law - Consultation Regulation Impact Statement”.

03 Feb 2022 | Media release | COVID-19 || AOA

The Australian Orthopaedic Association is calling on the Victorian Government to lift its ban on elective orthopaedic surgery in the state immediately. AOA President Annette Holian and VIC Branch Chair Adrian Trivett call for opening dialogue with the VIC Government on the issue and to better advocate for patients in Victoria.

10 Jan 2022 | COVID-19 || AOA

This policy details AOA's requirement for all scientific meetings and events that attendees be vaccinated against COVID-19, and notes that relevant meetings and events will be held in a hybrid model to facilitate attendance by unvaccinated people.

21 Dec 2021 | Arthroscopy | Knee || AOA, AKS, ASA

This consensus position statement deals with the simultaneous and staged bilateral Total Knee Replacement