VICDOC Summer 2025 - Flipbook - Page 58
and closer alignment with national
to reducing mandatory training
practice. The issues remain significant
duplication. The department began
and will carry into 2026 as part of
work on statewide recognition of prior
ongoing reform.
learning. WorkSafe entered discussions
Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff
The launch of the Getting Rid of Stupid
Stuff initiative in February, spearheaded
by Jill, became a central organising
point for much of the year’s advocacy.
It provided a simple mechanism for
members to identify unnecessary
on certification processes. Ahpra
signalled willingness to examine WWCC
requirements. The initiative was later
broadened to include environmental
sustainability, reflecting concerns
about waste and procurement that sit
alongside administrative inefficiency.
Regional and rural services
administrative work and enabled us to
present these issues to government in
a structured way. Repeated mandatory
training, fragmented credentialing,
redundant Working with Children Checks,
excessive paperwork and outdated
digital systems were prominent themes.
What shifted in 2025 was not the
existence of these problems but
their recognition within government
and health services as system issues.
The Health Minister committed
When Simon commenced as President
in May, AMA Victoria’s advocacy took
on a stronger focus on the pressures
facing regional and rural services. His
experience as Director of Emergency
Medicine at Echuca Health informed
this work and helped sharpen the
organisation’s engagement on access
block, bed availability, workforce
shortages and the impact of outdated
digital systems. These issues shaped
regular meetings with Government and
the Department.
Structural reform
Structural reform of the health system
required sustained engagement
throughout the year. The Health Services
Plan and early development of the
Local Health Service Networks raised
questions about governance, clinical
pathways and workforce implications.
We sought meaningful medical
involvement in these processes and
identified where engagement fell short.
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