Advocacy

Although there might be a short-term benefit for some patients needing this important and lifechanging nature of surgery, there are system and future costs that impact on care of patients and the sustainability of Public Hospital Orthopaedic Units.

Informed consent is an ongoing process rather than a single administrative event. Patients must be given adequate time, clear information, and a genuine opportunity to ask questions, and consent should be obtained free of pressure or perceived duress.

OMCRs may attend procedures to provide support to operating room nursing staff where requested by nursing staff or surgeon. However, it remains the individual orthopaedic surgeon’s decision if the presence of an OMCR is required in the operating room.

The updated clinical standards strengthen clarity and practical guidance for secondary fracture prevention services across Australia.

AOA has provided a formal response to the Draft Image Access Strategy and Consultation Report, contributing member feedback to support improved, timely and secure access to diagnostic images across Australia.

The APEC Lighthouse Award is prestigious international recognition for outstanding leadership in promoting ethical business practices among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the health sector.

Representatives of AOA, the NSA and the SSA took part in a meeting with representatives of the DOHAC concerning spine surgery MBS item number compliance in Nov 2024.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.