Weekly Update from Medical Leadership: Key Health and Policy Discussions
05 Jun 2026
The week ended with attention on mental health awareness, as doctors marked “Crazy Socks 4 Docs,” an initiative encouraging open conversations about mental health and wellbeing within the medical profession. Leaders said supporting doctor wellbeing remains an important priority.
A key focus was the National Leadership Alliance, which has been guiding the “Every Doctor, Every Setting” framework aimed at improving workplace culture and safety for doctors. While funding for the program will soon end, leaders confirmed that the framework and its resources will continue to be available and used for ongoing reforms.
Recent achievements linked to the program were also highlighted, including the introduction of a registrar training program at Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and improved data collection through occupation coding in death records to support better workforce planning and advocacy.
The update also covered discussions from the Federal Council meeting, where members addressed several priority areas including diversity in the medical profession, mental health system reform, rural workforce challenges, and transparency around specialist training costs.
Changes to Assignment of Benefit (AoB) rules were another major topic. From July 1, doctors will need to store AoB records, with verbal consent no longer allowed. However, electronic options will be accepted, and paper forms are being phased out. The change is expected to affect workflow in general practice and aged care settings, though officials have said they will take an education-focused approach during the transition.
Leaders also noted that further work is underway to reduce administrative pressure in aged care, with hopes of simpler “enduring assignment” arrangements being introduced next year.
The update also included discussion with medical colleges on professionalism in medicine, supported by the updated AMA Code of Ethics and the “Every Doctor, Every Setting” framework.
Specialist medical fees were raised again as a concern, with leaders pointing to wider funding issues as a key cause of rising out-of-pocket costs rather than individual providers.
Another major topic was pharmacist prescribing, following a review of a trial in New South Wales. The AMA raised concerns about the risk of increased antibiotic use and stressed the importance of medical oversight and coordinated care to support safe prescribing practices and strong antimicrobial stewardship.
The update closed on a lighter note, encouraging members to enjoy the weekend, particularly those in regions with a public holiday.
Weekly Update from Medical Leadership: Key Health and Policy Discussions
Source: Australian Medical Association (Federal update)